Vertigo
by TempestTemper
Summary: Everything happens in season 2… Adeline (OC) somehow reaches the Cabin we all know. The narration will follow her and Luke through the story we all know and love that telltale already created... so expect OC/Luke. There are going to be very short scenes exactly like in the game… just the key ones, and those a bit changed to suit my story. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 - 'What if's**

_A/N_ Clementine is there as well… I actually imagined this story with her as the protagonist but afterwards I realized she's just 11… damn it!

* * *

Well this is a fucked up world right now. Anything you do… anything anyone else does just ends up a waste and even more fucked up than you thought at first.

"Are you all right Adeline?"

"I'm just fine, Tom… don't worry." That's me… Adeline. It means Nobility or something like that in French… if that is worth anything these days. I am so tired I feel as if my limbs will fall apart from my body… "We've been walking for days… I just…"

"I would take a break by now as well but… "

"We are out of supplies. I know… I fucking know."

"Hey… all is going to be alright." I finally looked at the man hopeful that he is right… that last can of beans was like one last bless from some Bored to shit God up there in the sky. I don't even like beans but right now I would even eat dog shit just to stop this rumbling and painful contraction my stomach keeps on doing… and I know Tom is having it worse… he didn't have a last can of beans… now I feel bad. "Don't look at me like that A. We will get by… we always do." I absently nod at his remark… I wish I could be that optimistically, he's such a nice guy, so nice that he didn't let me behind when it was obvious to both of us that I was just keeping him back… I would have left me behind in his place… I am just a nuisance. "Hey… you are done with the long face! You WILL survive ok?" Again I nod. "NO! I want an answer."

"I guess so "

"Wrong answer. Come on Adeline I need to know if you'll keep on in case something happens to me." Well this just made me laugh… a creepy one as well.

"If you'll die first that would be surprising."

"Adeline."

"What?"

"Promise me you'll keep going after I am gone."

"Why are you so sure you'll be gone?"

"I just have this feeling in my guts that I don't have much time."

"None of us do."

"Adeline!"

"Fine… promise."

"Good." I can see a small smile forming on his lips. Now I can actually see what all of this walking around in these God forsaken woods done to Tom. His well build body now thin and frail and his face all sucked in, dark shadows under his wide eyes… he's been keeping watch all the time, he's been scavenging, he's been rationing the food, making the fire, looking for safe places… he's been doing everything… I am just useless… poor Tom.

"I don't know how I will survive all alone… without you Tom."

"Hey I am here girl… don' listen to my hunches… I just wanted to make sure. "

"Still… You know I am right."

"We'll go over some survival skills when we settle ok?"

I guess something good got out from that talk. Without Tom I wouldn't be here to tell you my story… what a fucking story this is.

* * *

"Light… There is a God after all." Adeline ran as fast as she could towards that little cabin in the woods… it didn't seem such a stupid idea when she firstly sprinted but as she got closer she realized just how idiotic it actually was. "So there might be no God for me after all." Slowly but surely she made her way towards it… just a little look wouldn't hurt. Sticking to a tree she started to hear footsteps… it was either one of the ghouls or some human being… which one of them was worse it was obvious… so she kept on whispering to God to give her one of those mindless creature and be done with this minor setback.

"Hello… someone there? I know you're not a lurker." And when Adeline heard that southern accent she knew she wasn't on God's side tonight. Taking a big breath in she tried to side step and run in to the woods only to find herself eye to eye with this nice looking barrel of a gun. "It usually takes more than a few seconds to make a girl ditch me like that but I guess I evolved."

"Now you just point a gun to their head and hope for the best."

"You already picked up on that didn't you? I am sorry… it's just for 'What if's… if you get me."

"'What if' I will pull my own gun or come back with my big and loving group?"

"Something like that… you got to understand… "

"Some people are just fucked up like that."

"Exactly."

"Then don't worry for me… I am all alone with my empty guns. You can just let me go."

"Hon you know I can't do that."

"The 'what if's again? Fine… here is one for you…" And before the man could actually react she was already under his gun grabbing at his arms and pushing him to the ground. "What if I just run and never come back?" And so she did with everything she got, her feet, even though already tired, went one in front of the other as if on auto pilot until an excruciating sound echoed through that forest. A bang that would vibrate for miles and miles alerting every dead, ringing their way towards their dinner, but that wasn't the worst thing about that sound; the worst part was her right thigh which under her eyes burst, splashing blood as she fell to her knees. As the world filtered through her eyes and the ringing stopped in her ears she could finally feel the pain shooting up to her brain, everything in front of her eyes turned white as her scream filled the ,once, silent woods.

"Fuck Nick!? Why you go and do that?"

"She ran… what if she is with Carver?"

"Even so we don't just shot people." The woman quickly tore a strap from her shirt and tightened it around her leg just above the wound, biting down on her lower lip she managed to get up and just continue limping her way out. The two men after her, much faster.

"Damn it… I already hate the 'what if's." She whispered as she kept on dragging herself through those dense trees, she could already feel a bruise forming on her cheek when one of the branches simply appeared out of nowhere… maybe a cut, much more likely one of those because something moist was now dripping from her chin and sure as hell she wasn't crying! And that is when a moan filled her ears almost instantly making her even more terrified… and when she bumped head to head with one of those things she could already see what is going to happen… but she promised him. Grabbing her trusted combat knife from the small of her back she stabbed the decomposing woman several times in one of the eyes letting free several maggots and some disgusting liquid, which splattered Adeline… if that was once blood now it was just a stinking rotten inside of some random creature all over her face… eww.

Her breathing quickened as she could still hear moans and growls from all around her… also her leg was starting to give away from the wound or from the impediment in her blood circulation… God knows… Crushing by one of the trees barks she wasn't ready to give up. One of the biters, this time a man thoroughly decomposed, his flesh barely sticking to his bones was rapidly gaining towards her. His face was more a nest of maggots and other insects, it's torso was swollen and dark which only made her even more terrified, the limbs still clinging by it looked like they would fall at any second even though they moved incredibly fast for their deplorable shape, looking closer between the small creatures infecting that corpse there was this sappy mucus coming out of everywhere even on the white bones poking out here and there where the flesh completely fell off.

Another shot from one of the shotguns the pair from before had, and that creature simply burst all over her. Everything happened almost in slow motion, the lurker's mandible, half clinging to his skull, moving to let a growl escape, it's boney hands inches from her and then she simply saw as bits of gore erupted from it… everything came crushing down on her when she felt the murky liquid coming from that long since dead man. Her entire body was covered in blood and some goopy and sticky chunks of flesh.

"Are you alright?"

"You just shot her Nick! I am sure she's just honkey dory!" Adeline tried to get up but all in vain as her right leg wouldn't listen to her anymore. "You're bleeding pretty badly… I don't know how much trust can you muster right now..."

"Take her quickly Luke… more are coming."

"… but…What if?"

The girl nodded frantically as the man took her bridal style and dashed back for the cabin from before.

"Carlos… we have a problem here!" And this was like the last part she was conscious to… she fainted in that strangers arm, all completely exposed at anyone's mercy.

Luke burst in to the house laying the girl on the green couch as everybody came to the entrance.

"Luke… who is she?"

"Some girl... Nick shot." He gave the man with the gun still strongly gripped between his fingers a blameful look.

"Hey man… don't put this on me… what if she's with Carver? Uncle Pete back me up here…" Pete simply shook his head in disagreement.

"Carlos… just take a look at her leg please… afterward we'll see what to do with her…" The man was already on it.

With a knife he cut one leg of the jeans she was wearing only to find the wound. "It looks much messier than it actually is… the only problem is that the bullet entered just enough to create a lot of hemorrhage. Not enough to incapacitate her… but I guess from the looks and color of her skin she's been better… she's anemic at best."

"So?"

"She'll be alright in some weeks… "

"Ok, Luke, you heard it… now we can talk."

"Talk about what Rebeca? I couldn't just leave her to the lurkers… not after we brought her in that position…"

"Still she could be with Carver."

"I said that already!" Nick yelled in complete and utter exasperation.

"Oh… so for some possibility I should had left her to be eaten!?"

"Luke, we can't just bring strangers just because we pity them… we have our problems."

"I couldn't just let her there when I could do something… and a starving, anemic person doesn't ring me Carver!"

"The boy is right, Rebecca."

"Still she is covered in that gore she could be bitten."

"Luke we haven't thought about that."

"Shut up Nick! You were there, that lurker was at least a meter away when we shot it! She's not bitten she's just fine."

"Let's just wait for her to wake up and make a decision with the girl as well."

"Thank you Pete!"

"Ok I am done with her wound… Luke from now on it is your responsibility."

"What?!"

"You heard me. Clean her, I am sure Rebecca can borrow you some clothes and when she wakes up you will talk to her."

"Shouldn't Rebecca or you do that? She's… she's a she..." When he heard Luke stutter Pete started laughing and with a hand around the man's shoulders he reassured him.

"Boy, don't tells me she's the first Lady you've taken care of?"

"No… of course not… I don't get it where you're going… Rebecca, just give me those clothes!" Quite frustrated and red to the tip of his ears he grabbed Adeline and left up the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - Episode 1**

A/N Hey… I know my English is a bit bad… . and as it is said I should feel bad… But I hope you like what I am writing here.

* * *

As the sun shone through the golden curtain at her side, Adeline woke up with no actual memory from her last night besides finding the small cabin. Stretching her back for a bit she looked outside the window with a little contempt smile. It was good to rest once in a while, it was perfect actually and the most fulfilling sensation you can get in a world like this… or maybe a full belly would be much better but she was trying to see the bright side of her situation. Talking about food she needed to eat and she also needed a little trip to answer nature. She took one leg out of her covers pressing it to the wooden, cold floor but when the other one was supposed to follow she cringed from the sudden pain escaping a small little squeak. That is when she remembered, she turned her gaze in the corner of the room observing the sleeping man from last night… Luke was it? God! She just had to get out before he gave any signs of waking up. But when she could actually get on her feet she stumbled back down on her knees fighting as hard as she could the need to cry out loud… she almost drew blood from biting her lip in the process.

"Oh… hey, hey!… no need for walking around, or crawling, or anything you are trying right now…"And that is what she was doing, despite the shooting pain from her wound she tried to leave the room as fast as she could but the man had some other ideas, his hands came to her shoulders turning her around, and in that position they kept fighting until Luke actually just let go, still on top of her. "Hey! I am no bad guy ok?" Still breathing pretty hard she was simply staring in to his eyes. "Not so chatty, are you?"

"I am sorry if I don't socialize with the people that shot me."

"We just met in the wrong circumstances… and that was Nick not me… which is an asshole, sometimes… let me help you." She grabbed his hand and sat back on the bed. "So… yeah… I am sorry."

"Fucked up things happen in fucked up times…"

"Yeah… I guess so." Taking a good look at her leg she just realized she broke some stiches and now blood was coursing through the bandage… "Do you still have some medical supplies around? If not just pass me my bag."

"I will call Carlos…"

"He is definitely sleeping… just pass me my bag please."

"Ok." Finally getting her belongings back Adeline continued by retrieving some basic First aid parts. With Luke's help she managed to patch up her leg, this time with some adhesive tape over the bandage to keep it secure. She breathes in a sigh of relief as she left her body to fall on to the bed.

"Carlos said you shouldn't walk on your own for a few days… so if you need any help you can just tell me ok? Also by the bed there is a bowl of stew… if you are hungry that is…"

"Oh… GOD! I love you!" Luke watched amused as she snatched the bowl from the small table and devoured it.

"Carlos said you might be hungry."

"I haven't eaten a decent meal for what seems like years."

"I meant to ask… are you part of some group or something close to that? We could help you find it… I don't want them believing…"

"No worries… I am alone."

"Really? Not many make it this far on their own."

"I… of course I wasn't alone from the start… but as everybody else can relate… people die… some get left behind." Luke just nodded a bit lost in his pity. "But… best stew ever."

"It is actually kind of bad… Pete made it and he has the habit of simply throwing anything into a pot and calling it a stew…"

"It wasn't that bad… "Adeline kept on chatting with Luke until some shuffling could be heard from the other rooms. The man helped her up and took her downstairs on a couch there.

"So as I said… the others from my group want to talk to you… "

"To decide how much of a waste of time I am."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Hey… I promise we'll not leave you behind."

"And why is that? Wait… why are you so nice anyway?"

"I guess I just feel bad for the whole shot in the leg thing…"

"Still…"

"Hey… as I said… I am no bad guy."

"Many told me that before sugar…I just hope this time will be different… it is not like I can do anything else."

After a few minutes the whole gang surrounded Adeline, all of them screaming and shouting in the end making no sense whatsoever… Luke and Pete managed to persuade the others to let her stay at least until her leg heals… then it is her own choice. The days passed and it seemed the only decent person there was Luke… one day they found a little girl bit by, from what she said and proved right, a dog… she didn't had it as bad as Adeline but still… not the best group but a lot better than nothing.

"Hey!"

"Nick right?"

"It's been two weeks… and it's not hard to remember."

"If you say so."

"I just wanted to apologize."

"For?"

"For taking the last pizza slice… For what do you think?… For shooting you."

"I really wanted that last pizza slice. Don't worry… no hard feelings… just an ugly scar."

Adeline slowly entered under their skin and became quite an important part of that little society they created… until one day when their fishing party wouldn't come back.

"It shouldn't have taken them more than an hour Carlos!"

"I know that, Luke… but what are we supposed to do."

"Go after them of course… we all know where the river is… me and Adeline could check it out."

"I will come too."

"Alvin no."

"Rebecca don't worry. We'll be back before you'll even realize."

"But Alvin."

"Ok Luke… go and find them." Carlos finally agreed giving Adeline a pistol and some bullets. "Bring them back."

And so they were out the door in a rush to reach the supposed river where the others went.

Going through the forest we passed the tree where I actually was almost going to die… the huge chunky man was still there splattered all over with just my form clean on the ground and bark… just like some stupid horror movie or something like that… right now those don't seem so pathetic anymore. But… without even realizing I lost it, there was completely untouched a photo with Tom. My fingers brushed over it as I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Hey… you ok?"

"Yes… I will be right there." Just staring at that photo brought so many memories… good and bad but most of them good… because that little paper was made in better days, in days when my only troubles were the homework that I didn't want to do, the bad markings I was going to get at some useless exam paper, the guy that I liked and didn't give a shit about me, my fucking fan fictions that nobody read… all of those problems that were just crap if you think right now about them… and that is when some small drops touched the photo, I raised my head and palms towards the sky expecting to see the sky dark filled with water which would soon turn to rain, but no.

"Hey… are you sure you are ok?" Luke crouched next to me.

"I already told you…" And now as I touched my cheek there were… tears… all unleashed by their own free will. As soon as realization hit me I grabbed the photo and simply went ahead after Alvin desperately trying to hide any trace that I had cried. I felt so weak when emotion like these came rushing, the moments that I can't control scare me the most and emotions that are of no use tend to get you killed… fear, saddens, grief, contempt, peace and happiness all of them a threat to your own self-preservation now a days.

We shortly crossed a bridge made by a door. The woods were silent no bird singing, no deer running, no living to make any sound… just a weak breeze bringing with it the smell of decay and dead… no more fresh pines cones just rotten flesh in the forest's fragrance.

I shortly caught up with Alvin but Luke just wouldn't let it go. He grabbed my shoulder and looked me straight in the eyes.

"Hey… I know how it is to lose somebody… but the worst is just to keep it boiled in… trust me."

"Aren't you the big and mighty hero?"

"Huh?"

"Take you nose out of other people's business." This was what irritated me the most at Luke… he always thought he could help everyone… this need to show what a good person will just get him killed… as everyone in his group if this continues.

"I just… am here if you need to talk."

"If I needed to share my life stories I would have kept a diary."

"LUKE… come here!" And so Alvin saved me as the man behind me sprinted towards the river with me on his tracks. When I reached them I could see the place filled with corpses… 4 or 5 of them plus the ones on the other side could make a dozen add or take some.

"What happened here? "

"My guess is Carver." Alvin was searching one of the corpses as Luke was still dumb founded.

"Do you think they would kill Nick… and Pete?"

"I don't know what that man's capable of."

"This is bad… search the bodies, Adeline… and please don't tell me if you find them." I nodded as I went through the stream. I found several dead people… none of them walkers at least. Walking a bit more the familiar moan reached my ears only to look down at my feet and see a man desperately trying to get free from two lurkers on top of him.

"I found Pete…"

"Yes! Where is he… is he fine… is he wounded?"

"I can't really say he is alright."

"What do you mean…?" When Luke reached my side he found out what I meant. "No…" His eyes widen in shook as he simply gazed upon the man with half of his inside poking out for everyone to see trying to reach us with all his might. "NO, no, no, no…. fuck!" I offered him my gun; he simply stared at me with watery eyes.

"Family should do this… and I don't know if you are able to split his head with that pointy thing you've got on your back. Just saying. "He kept on staring at the grip of the gun as I offered it to him.

"Pete…" His gaze turned from him to me again and after he nodded he grabbed it. I could see his knuckles turning white as he tried to make himself push the trigger. Without realizing I slid one of my hands on his shoulder and the other down his arm until I tangled it on the trigger, he didn't refuse my help. After rising it towards Pete's head and squeezing his index finger the man could finally rest in the so called 'After Life'.

"I never thought I would have to kill him of all the people."

"You didn't kill him Luke."

Alvin, hearing the gun shot came towards us. "God, Pete."

"We need to find the others." Luke, snapping from that shocked state, came down to business.

"It would be good if we buried him."

"Why?"

"I know you are angry… but it will help… trust me."

"It will help finding NICK!?"

"Fine… fine… Point taken… Let's search the corpses…and see if we find anything."

After a few minutes Carlos and Rebecca were running towards us all out of breath.

"What happened?"

"Alvin you are alright!"

"Rebecca… what happened?"

"Clementine came back… alone. We were afraid you were hurt." As Luke heard those few words Carlos said he ran back leaving us behind.

"Did you find anything in here, Adeline?"

"Just Pete."

"Where is he?"

"I hope you brought a shovel." And so I was running after Luke… more or less for that shovel I spoke.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - Night 1 **

**A/N** I rated it M... blood and gore is to be expected.. and it is Walking Dead, after all. Also from here on now I am going to describe the 5 days that in the game are skipped… the way they make towards the ski resort.

* * *

"Everyone pack up… we are moving out!"

"I travel light… so I can accompany you and Clementine to look for Nick."

"Ok… Good." As soon as little Clementine finished her conversation with Carlos, Luke was already up and rolling to take her after his friend… she was the last person with him so she knew where to lead us.

"Look, we gotta find Nick. You know where he was, right?"

"Yeah…"

"All right. Everybody grab your stuff. Let's hit the road."

The three of them already left, the others listened to Adeline's proposal to bury Pete despite the risk they'd be winning with this little thing. Luke was a bit on edge… with all the news about Carver and all the other extra details Adeline never knew about he didn't really knew what to expect. Still the only thing on her mind was poor Pete left all alone next to that river, his body left to no one.

Little Clementine was taking us to some hidden little house or a shed in the woods; there were a few walkers but no Nick to be seen. Somehow, every time Adeline looked at the little girl pity was the only thing she could muster… 11 years and bound to never experience more than what this fucked up world will ever be able to offer… 11 already knowing what dead is, already knowing about the future's insecurity and about danger…about the life and death situations… all of those shitty parts that some people don't even know about, their entire life… this is so unfair to her… to everyone.

"There. That's where we were…" We found Nick… with a pretty hangover… another injustice done to everyone… to Adeline in particular.

"Is there any left?"

"What?"

"W-h-a-t he asks… Alcohol… I've been begging for something with a bit of taste to burn my throat for ages."

"There is still some in the back."

"What! No… Nick shut up… one drunk asshole is enough."

"Shut up Luke." The woman managed to grab one of the cans and left taking big gulps from it. Her face contorted as the whiskey slid down her throat and invaded her chest, but the fuzzy feeling that it created was exactly what she needed. "We should go and meet with the others."

"Where are we going?"

"Right now back to the river…" Nick widen his eyes as he took a glance at Luke, the man answered him with a small weak smile.

By the time they returned Alvin was already done with the grave… maybe it is better for Nick that he didn't have to see his uncle all mangled up. The poor boy fell to his knees at the site of it, simply staring. Luke tried his best to comfort him. Adeline realized just how important a good friend is… The girl looked around for a bit until she found some little pinkish flowers… those weren't much… but just enough for this to work. She ripped a few and went back to the group. The first to get one was Nick… which still a bit nonresponding thanked her with a nod... then Carlos and the couple…and after them she went to Sarah which was sitting on a rock together with Clementine.

"Hey girls..."

"Wow… they are so beautiful." Sarah, blind as always, did her best to clip the little bloom to her hair, Adeline smiled and helped her. Clementine sadly nodded as she offered hers to Sarah.

"We'll be on the road soon enough… rest for a bit… maybe even fill some of the bottles with some water from the river if you are at it."

Now returning back to the group she went straight to Luke which somehow showed his gratitude just by the way he was looking at her. He accepted the flower and put it on the makeshift cross, Carlos and Alvin managed to make in the short time they had, and with a small knife he scratched Pete's name 'Pete Joseph Randall'.

"As he always said we are wasting daylight…" Even though an important part of that group died, Luke still had to look at the entire picture and crying at a grave wasn't taking us anywhere. After some minutes in which the girls finished their job and Luke pulled Nick back on his feet they were all leaving, Adeline offered her own flower to Pete with only a few words blown away by the wind.

"I hope there is something better where you went… and if you can… find a man, his name is Tom… tell Tom that I miss him the most and that I am sorry."

* * *

After a long walk, like the entire day which seemed like nothing to the girl but definitely took its toll on the others, the group decided to stop in a little secluded corner.

"Ok people we have like three tents. Who is going to keep watch?"

"Alvin can't tonight… he already did for the past few days." Taking a look at her husband, Luke nodded in acknowledgement.

"That leaves us with me, Carlos and Adeline. Two should be enough just for this night."

"I will keep watch first." Adeline, seeing as she is the freshest right now, chooses to have the first shift.

"Ok… Carlos, Sarah and Clementine can have one of the two persons tent, Alvin and Rebecca the three persons one… Me, Adeline and Nick the one person one, as we will keep watch it should be ok.

"Nick can come with the two of us, there is no problem." Rebecca instantly sends killing glares to her husband but as that man was all happy and filled with smiles as he always is she had nothing to add.

The tents gave them quite a headache but in the end they were done, Nick was proud to have done one big fire only to have it all extinguished because of the size… it could alert Carver's party, so he ended up angry with his hands crossed… the whole picture gave Adeline the impression of a little scolded child.

"Ok… so now the food part."

"Inside the tents they are already eating… Carlos is with Sarah." Adeline informed him.

"Nick… how are you keeping up, man?"

"I miss Pete…"

"We all do… but… Clementine told me…"

"What did she tell you?" The little girl already widens her eyes begging Luke not to continue his point about Nick's suicidal tendency.

"About saving her… I never thought you had it in you."

"Ohh… I was half drunk…"

"That explains it then." They both laughed.

After some more chatting and eating they all went to bed besides Luke who went after the girl now leaned by a tree doing her job.

"Are you sure you want to take the first shift?"

"Don't worry for me."

"I am not… I actually came to thank you… about Pete. It was a good idea in the end."

"In the end?"

"I half expected to be jumped on by somebody while the others were mourning."

"You should get some sleep."

"This is a nice way to say 'Luke leave me be, I am in no mood to chit chat with you'… I got the hint." The man was trying to make his best impression of Adeline, with one hand on his hip and the other pointed up making small circles.

"Good job Sherlock."

"Not even trying to deny my claims... huh?"

"Luke… You are starting to grow on me so don't push it." The man smiled at her and with a wave he announced his own way to sleep.

After a few boring hours of nothing Adeline thought that a little wondering around wouldn't hurt. So careful not to do too much noise she got her backpack and left for some random corner between the trees, cautious to still have the camp in sight. After some wandering Adeline's foot slid on a wet patch of grass falling right on her butt and all happened a bit like in some crappy cartoon in which the character falls with its legs going to the sky.

"Damn it." Bringing her hands in front of her she could see something sticky and red tainting them. "Damn it…" Looking around to make sure no walker was actually the blood's donor she realized she had fallen right in a blood puddle. "Damn it!" Quickly getting up she slipped several times creating some kind of a squishy sound and the feeling under her was just gross, a bit like some kind of dough but not the good type. Looking now much better she could see the entire picture. "God…" There was a large stack of chunky red bits strew all over. You could see bones and organs here and there and some parts of the person meters away as if after creating this mess somebody played with the bits (as she couldn't really say if it was a man or a woman) that didn't turn to mush… it was just an unsightly mess. But what didn't strike Adeline at first was the smell… maybe living in a world where you could actually stumble over a death corpse at every turn the smell becomes normal but this stench was just… foul. But then, it was a conglomeration of raw meat, after all.

Taking in the sight her heart stopped when an all too familiar moan reached her ears, turning right in the right second she just saved her leg from one nasty bite from just a… head. It was cracked, bits and bones sticking out through the decomposed hair… but the brain untouched so it kept going. A severed head, torn off at the neck was now moving towards her with the help of its mandible. Grabbing one of the sprawled ribs she slowly drove the pointy bone through the hole in the skull right in to the pinkish material known as a brain. The once human, died instantly releasing one last growl. With her index finger she tried to close one of his eyes only to get the eye lid stuck to her finger. "I hope there is some final rest for you." Still there was something she liked at that whole picture… a bloody makeshift bow was stuck around the spine… and a thin leather quiver with some arrows. Stepping over all of her disgust and trying her best not to puke she managed to retrieve them. "God… I should go back now." And yet again she just reminded herself of those characters in those useless movies which spoke out loud everything they were going to do…. Anyhow she had her bow; returning to the camp was the best thing to do now. Walking she realized just how gross her clothes felt on her…. She never liked it when she got wet because the material would stick to her skin… but now blood being much thicker it was even better… "Damn it". Back at the fire Luke was looking erratic all around and as soon as he saw her form through the dark he dashed for Adeline. As the details reached him panic could be read all over his features.

"Are you ok? What happened?"

"Nothing really... I was just clumsy."

"You are covered in blood!" The man reached his hand to her shoulder only to pick up some weird looking piece of meat which as he pressed it released a hideous mushy sound, he threw it as if bitten by it. "What did you do?"

"I found a bow…" Seeing her innocent smile Luke could only roll his eyes and walk back to the fire. With his back towards her, Adeline heard him gulping which only opened a window for some joking around.

"What? You don't like my new perfume?"

"Just change!"

"Eau de corpse… the new best thing… you can smell it everywhere."

"Please…"

"The big and mighty hero can't take in some smelly gore."

"Adeline!"

"Fine! fine…"

After some scrubbing and getting dressed she fell asleep. It doesn't really matter how… maybe Luke simply left for his shift, or maybe he stayed there with her… maybe he was worried, maybe not… the only thing that mattered was the fact that she dreamt of him that night… and it was awful. She had one of those lousy dreams that haunt you once in a while. One of those gifts offered to you by your own mind to torment your soul. Contempt and happiness becoming just an ephemeral sensation warning you of the sorrow so close to your heart, so adamant to make you cry. Everybody hates those dreams that wait on the border towards nightmare. Adeline as well, she hated that she can only have what she can't phantom.

She can never wish for this to anyone not even to her enemies… to see someone close to you turn is one of the most horrible sights… and she lived it… so many times again and again in her dreams… now for them to be replaced by Luck… Why was her mind toying with her? No! It wasn't right… so she woke up from that nightmare just to see as the man was entering the tent.

"Umm… sorry for waking you up… Carlos couldn't sleep so he said he'd keep some watch." Her hands came to her forehead in an attempt to calm down the wrecked nerves and speeding heart she had without him realizing. After a big sigh she curled up in her corner to sleep.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Adeline."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 - Basic Needs**

A/N it is a longer chapter because it is actually a reunion between two chapters… but one of them was too short… I am sorry if this is a problem… and I hope you like it. I know that the ending is a bit weird, I get it…. But I felt as if that should be added there :D. Oh… I truly hate plucking chickens(so not many details there because I truuuuuuly hate plucking chickens (I didn't do it but I googled it and I wish I never would had .) … Enjoy.

* * *

The next day was a slow one… just walking and worrying that Carver would catch up. Adeline, in special, was just testing her new bow with some luck she managed to shot a bunny, the arrow splitting right through its little brown furry chest… that became dinner and nobody actually mind to have some warm cooked meat to eat.

"As always… empty…"

"Did you check the glove compartment?"

"Yup… just a driving license… and a few girly shits."

"There is nothing in the trunk…"

"We need to find some supplies Luke…"

"I know…"

"I can see the signs of a small village… we could check it out…"

Luke, still lost in thought, took out a map from his backpack. "I thought that reaching those mountains over here could be the best choice… but right now I doubt it."

"Why?"

"I don't know… I just have a hunch…"

"What I learned from this crappy life is that hunches… are not just hunches… "

"But what else can we do? We are already on our way let's keeping on it and see what we get... About that village you were speaking of… it is pretty close… maybe it's worth a look."

"We should take Nick..."

"No, no, no… and no… I don't trust Nick to tie his own shoes right now… He'll stay behind… so don't say a word… "

After announcing the rest that they will take another route, Luke and Adeline were ready to search that little village, if you could call it that... It was more of an agglomeration of 5 or 6 houses… it shouldn't take long.

"Ok… Luke you take that house this one is mine…"

"I think we should stick together."

"What?"

"I know… that splitting would only mean covering more ground but… you know."

"Fine… let's start systematic… this one first."

With her bow fully drawn and ready, Adeline pointed out to Luke that he could open the door. As soon as the way was opened for them an arrow flow right through it and got stuck to the wall.

"Whoa, whoa! What?!"

"My bad… sorry." The tension got the better of her and in that split second of panic she let go to the string of the bow… ops.

Going in it seemed the entrance they choose was the back one as they stepped in to a kitchen. Looking around they realized the place was clean… nothing really for them. Moving to the next zone they got in to a living room. The walls were filled with pictures and memories of a time long since pass. Adeline always tried not to care too much about the inhabitants of a house she just happens to need because dueling on little things like the pain of others will just intensify your own but when they found the first bedroom the family that once dueled in that building demanded their acknowledgement.

"Damn…"

"You can say it again." Luke was quick to eliminate the first lurker that could actually get to them. But the other one was hanging from the roof, its neck going to definitely break from the body soon enough.

"Suicide." The lurker that was now death came from the bed, which was covered in what seemed like dried blood in the middle a small knife covered in the same thing.

"Seems like it…"

"So who cleaned this place out?"

"You saw the pictures… it was a big family… maybe just these two didn't want to keep on."

But as the couple reached the other bedroom they found another two of those things all tied up by the bed frame doing their best to get free. "found some chocolate bars"

"What… Luke? Those things must be bad."

"Check them out and tell me." Throwing them towards Adeline the first thing she did was to stare intently at the expiration date… but they've eaten expired food before so…

"Ohh… GOD… no good, no good."

"Too bad… I don't think we'll find anything in this house…"

"I guess from those two tied there, that someone else bested us."

"Guess so… yes."

"I will go and see what I can find in the garden… maybe there is something in the bathroom."

Maybe the only reason she wanted to check the garden was because she was already a bit overwhelmed by what she just observed… those two by the bed frame couldn't be more that 14 or 15… and somebody just left them to starve in there. Their thin arms and legs couldn't mean anything else… how much she hated all of this… why in times of peril, when humanity is on the verge of dying, do things like this happen… why, in place of helping each other we are killing ourself? But all of this happened long before the outbreak… The world wars are the best example… As Adeline thought of this something stopped her abruptly by a hard hit to the head. Looking around annoyed half expecting Luke to have made some joke she just realized where she was.

"LUKE!" He ran outside as fast as he could. "LOOK." And when he saw it he broke in to laughter like she never heard from him. There was an apple tree… filled with the juicy fruits. That is what hit her… just like Einstein and his fucking apple she just made the greatest discovery. It wasn't so important but fruits weren't everywhere anymore so this was nice. After both of them grabbed one of the apples they settled at the roots of the tree simply enjoying. The fruits were the sweetest thing she ever tasted; with a sly eye she saw that for Luke it wasn't much difference. But that little look made her unable to turn away.

Why was she paying so much attention she didn't knew but that bite he took, his teeth sinking through the skin of the apple tearing it to reach the flesh made her gulp. She almost stopped breathing when she heard the cracking of the fruit and her dark eyes couldn't stop in following the small little drop of juice that slid down his neck. Refocusing on her own meal she could finally pay attention to her own white and tender flesh… juicy and sweet… mildly aromatic… There is a God after all!

"You know something?"

"Huh?" Finally Luke broke the silence as he was simply staring at me. "What is it Luke?"

"It is nice." His finger came to my cheek which almost instantly went in flames, I guess that little trail of juice that I followed on his neck didn't miss mine either because his finger went down until it touched my collarbone where it stopped to push my chin up. "…to spend some time without thinking about everything… just about apples."

"Just about apples huh?"

"Just about apples."

But Adeline had to break this weird contact… as she jumped up.

"I can see that the most apples from the base are gone so I will need a little boost to reach the ones up higher." Luke laughed to himself as he got up to offer that boost. "Ok… I will throw them down at you… I grabbed a backpack from the house… put them in there."

"You thought of everything…"

"I'd like to believe that. "

After several apples Luke announced her that they had enough so she started climbing down the tree only for her attempt to end badly as one of the branches cracked and broke… as on slow motion she realized she was going to fall but she also knew she can't do anything to prevent it so she simply went down like a boulder… right on Luke which catching her, because of the weight, went crumbling down on the green grass shortly starting to laugh. Still red Adeline got up as fast as she could only to go down again, this time pulled by Luke's strong hands.

"What the fuck are you doing? "

"I am trying to prolong the moment."

"Luke! The others are waiting."

"I guess you are right… " His lips brushed hers… quickly, like a child kissing their grandma. Kind of disappointed he grabbed the backpack. "Should we check the other houses?

"There...There might be something the looters missed... i Guess... I don't know... Luke..."

"Ok."

Well long story short the looters didn't miss anything… They easily found the group which was more than delighted to see the bag of apples. Nick was still down in the dumbs which made Adeline have a chat with him… maybe more or less because she didn't want a chat with Luke.

"Hey Nick!"

"Yeah…"

"Wow… that is some enthusiasm right there…"

"Just leave me alone." After some more attempts to get to him she finally gave up. She knows how it is to lose somebody important... death never comes easy. It is not like in the novels where the main character dies for a greater good, his life being meaningful for generations… no… most of them are simply putting a waste, an entire person, its sole purpose, dreams and believes down the drain, they fight and fight… just to end up in some hole for no one to actually remember them for long. Such is life now… a line of disappointments, suffering and disasters that simply cuts and abruptly ends… maybe this is why Adeline started believing in God so much since the outbreak… it is her way of believing there is still something after this life, it is her way of clinging to some makeshift string of fate and keep on living. She wanted to end her life, such an easy escape… so many times Tom had to stop her… so many times the man had to beg her, to make her understand that life is more than this wretched constant pain… she just had to find the silver lining. Still she might had blinked and missed its precious touch as she never found it before.

"Hey Clementine… Why are you all alone?"

"Sarah is talking with her father… "

"Then I guess you don't mind some company." And so the woman started walking next to the little girl. As they talked she slowly realized just why she had the feeling of pitying the little girl.

"Hey… having fun without me? " Luke just popped up from nowhere, with one apple in his fingers. "Did you eat Clementine?" She nodded with a tiny smile on her lips… that made him take a bite, he knew she wouldn't be shy, if she wanted another one she'd ask but as Adeline would soon find out he was more interested in her. Soon Sarah called Clementine to show her some bug she found.

They had a really frustrating conversation in which Luke was simply trying to read in to her past but she'd only answer monosyllabically so it only ended up with both of them kind of angry at each other. Adeline pressing on the fact that past is in the past and Luke saying that she needs to open up a bit.

And so the day ended.

* * *

The next day all of them were already on the road by sunrise. Nick told them he might have seen some moving around in the woods and if those signs of life would actually prove to be Carver that would be bad so they quickly packed and went on their way… Adeline and Nick where this time in front of the group to scout. There were a few lurkers but nothing they couldn't handle. A few lose arrows and some knife swings and they were done. After some hours the awkward silence between them soon finished when, finally, Nick managed to say something.

"I'm sorry…"

"This time no joking but for what?"

"For being a dick… with you."

"Nick… you don't have to be sorry, trust me. I've had and been worse than just some intense silence and depression."

"Still… sorry for getting kinda aggro on you…"

"It's ok… I am happy you finally managed to snap out of it. You've been through so much… how are you actually feeling right now?" Nick's raised his gaze from the ground to look at her. "I mean really… how are you? "

"I've been better… "

"Come on…" The man simply shook his head in a way for her to understand and let it go. "What about a game… an answer for an answer?" He simply shrugged. "So answer my question."

"No… I will have the first round."

"Fine by me."

"Why are you refusing to talk about you past?"

"The past stays in the past…"

"Then why do you expect me to answer any of your questions?"

"Because I asked you how are you feeling not what happened to you."

"Fine. Sometimes it's just hard to keep movin' all the time… I'm not build like that. I can't just forget everybody I grew up and died… it all happened to them."

"You don't have to forget them… God knows I've tried."

"Who?"

"No, no… you asked me two questions… I still have another. You still haven't told me your actual feelings."

"I feel as if everything is going to happen to us as well. We're all so fucked! The whole world is fucked! I mean what's the point? We'll just march to some new place and someone else will die…it's never gonna stop and eventually it'll be our turn… This is what I feel… Happy?!" Definitely he's been thinking about this for some times, he had that look on his face as if he recited from memory as if he'd memories every word.

"Nick… I know… and I am not going to feed you some shit about some Nirvana out there and that we'll all make it because I don't believe in it. Most of my thoughts are quite alike yours to be fair with you."

"Then why haven't you done something about it?"

"Why haven't I killed myself? I tried… believe me I tried… but it seems fate itself wants me to keep on going… so I simply keep on going, even though everybody stops on their tracks behind me."

"How was it the first time? In the first day they came?"

"You first."

"The first time we saw one of them was actually pretty fucked. I and Luke were dead drunk. You can imagine the two of us walking the street with a man coming towards us. I started yelling at the guy to stop staring… he was annoying until the moment a girl ran away from it. As drunk as we were… we ran away from it just because that girl did."

"That's stupid!"

"Your turn."

"Fine… here is some history lesson from me. When all of this happened I was in school… in my desk… actually doing math when the gym teacher came through the window and started eating the math teacher… I always hated that bitch but never that much to see her being munched to death. We all ran… somehow we got to the gym… finally believing that we are going to be ok. It was just some of my classmates, two teachers and some other kids from school… I don't think we were more than 20… but one stupid… bitch, I can't call her anything else, Jenny fucking Pitcher made an OD. The next morning her best friend went to check on her… let's just say from that point from 20 we went down to 10… and I was just smart enough to leave that group. When I went back home… You'll excuse my lack of details… I was all alone and that was my first attempt at escaping all of this… I grabbed a knife and I slid my wrist right next to my sister's death cor-corpse... "

"Fuck."

"Yeah… now you get it why past should remain in the past?"

"I am sorry…"

"Anyhow… from here it seemed like some fucked up TV series. This guy comes in to my house… he was my uncle's best friend and he saves me if you can believe it. He just wanted to see if my uncle was ok… and he knew we had a car unlike him. Tom Wilde… I never saw him as he truly was before all of this crap. He was just a stupid swim teacher… but he knew what to do and when to do it."

"So you remained with this guy?"

"Yup… until half an year ago. Everything… happened to all of them… to quote you. My question now? Are you going to act on it?"

"That little girl… Clementine… made me think more about it."

"Good."

"What about you? Why didn't you do anything? You were alone for half a year."

"Fate and a promise still stop me."

"Hey! You two what are you chit chatting about?"

"Existential crisis… wanna join us?"

"Uhh… no. I can hear some water in the distance... if we find a river it should be the best place to make a camp. Let's go check it Adeline… Nick stay with the group."

"I'll come too."

"No... Stay with the group."

"I can back you up, Luke."

"Just stay with the group… we still need someone to watch them… two of us away are just enough. Come on."

After making sure they were far enough for Nick not to hear them Adeline just had to ask about the boy.

"Why leave him behind with the group?"

"I already told you… Nick was never truly dependable… and now is just worse… We have to keep going and sure as hell I am not leaving him behind… but…"

"I talked with Nick for a bit… He reminds me of myself."

"How's that?"

"It's just I was pretty useless, I was holding back this guy I was with… until he actually stopped protecting me. That is when I learned to look for myself Luke."

"What's your point?"

"Nick will never learn shit if you don't offer him an opportunity."

"No… its better this way… trust me I know Nick better than you do… Look at that." Almost instantly he ducked behind a bush pulling Adeline in there as well. And she soon realized why.

"Is that a fucking turkey?!Oh my GOD!"

"I know. Shh… use that bow of yours. Come on before it runs off."

She positioned herself on one knee her shoulders pulled so she can stay straight as she took slowly and arrow. Drawing the string close to her right ear she could hear the silent cracks of the wood from which the weapon was made. The bird, as if feeling something was going to happen raised its head up looking panicked all around making that all too familiar sound of a turkey.

"Wait…" Luke raised his head next to hers and with his arms on her waist positioned her. "Like this it will be easier to target." And he was right, when she released her hold; the arrow flew and split the air as it went straight for its target. The poor turkey didn't even realize what happened until Luke was on it pulling out the arrow from its chest and sliding its machete to cut its head. The poor bird tried to start running around but tying it by its frail legs it simply started tumbling on the dirt as the couple went forward towards the river they could clearly hear now. "I used to go to these camps my parents sent me… there, the only activity I loved was practicing with the bow…"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It is much better to learn by your own… you grow your own style… it feels natural that way."

"Thx."

They found a small stream, not wider than 2 or 3 meters and deep as the ankles go.

"Ok… so I was right. I will stay here and look around for any of our lurker friends… you go and bring the others."

"Ok." As she returned with the rest Luke was already making a fire for the first steps in preparing that turkey they got. After a few hours of excruciating turkey cleaning they were finally actually cooking it.

"So much easier with the refrozen ones at the supermarkets." Luke joked as he cleaned his hands.

"I would pluck a walker easier." Adeline had to add as this was her first bird ever to prepare, and the plucking part was so gross…

"Ehh… all the pain will be for the best in the end." They were lucky with Alvin helping around; Luke knew how to do it in theory so it was quite a mess. The two girls Clementine and Sarah earned one turkey feather each now roleplaying some Indians from what Adeline could see. This peace of mind as they were butchering a poor little bird was kind of nice… and the turkey was little indeed, not fruitful as she imagined turkeys should be, it was thin and frail… so pitiful… but enough for them tonight. The taste was good and quite fulfilling.

Then everybody got ready for sleep. Some of them washed in the steam some of them didn't… somehow only Luke, Nick and Adeline where the last left. Adeline exercising for a bit on a tree gave her place at the stream to Luke as Nick didn't feel like having 'pneumonia' as he said it. The girl was still pulling at the bow in thought. Then she simply dashed throwing the weapon on the ground she ran towards the stream.

There she found Luke of course… he was just about to wash a little so his shirt was lost on some stone and his jeans were unbuttoned with his hands holding the zipper, his eyes attentive right at Adeline which stopped right in front of him. Her hands came to his chest as her moist fingers touched his ear.

"No strings attached." He got everything she meant from those few words.

Does any of you know about Maslow's hierarchy of needs? If you do you'll realize just what actually happened between the two of them… simple basic need. Physiological to be more exact: They had air to breath, food as scarce as it was it wasn't a true problem, plenty of water, sleep as much as they could get but what is next? That is what pushed the both of them to give in to their primal instincts. No love or attraction for any of them to actually take in to account just sexual longing. For Luke the group came first and not some fetish he has once in a while, he can't indulge in emotions like love for just one person not until he finds a safe place for them to stay, and that fast because Rebecca was soon to give birth… and for Adeline… she simply couldn't give in to this again… she simply couldn't keep her promise if she once again left her feelings free to do what the fuck they wanted with her but she surely could indulge in to a few hours of pleasure as could her friend.

The water was freezing cold but refreshing… it didn't mean much for us anyway. We we're too distracted by what we we're doing to mind the simplest of things. I simply enjoyed that brief insanity of mine… I was consciously unconsciously… I left all of my perceptions behind and thought that I was insane… But as Luke stepped on to his own boundaries I realized that maybe... just maybe we are all insane.

As anything else, I realized that night that the moment when our cracks become exposed is close to a breeze that suddenly becomes a storm… it is unstoppable… yes we are broken inside… each and every one of us… and we try to find any kind of glue… but none of them does the job so the cracks simply become visible. And the most fucked up thing is the fact that all of our secrets just come pouring out through those gaps like the most wretched sins came from Pandora's Box… Our pain can no longer be ignore and my solitude can no longer be denied… in that night I felt so lonely that all the past that I thought would remain in the past overcame me… and I was too tired to fight it anymore. It wasn't the best thing to talk to Nick… that little chat just reopened old wounds. Keeping everything boiling in becomes unbearable as Luke told me… so I searched for him to confide in… we both live in this world after all… and what we did that night didn't truly have to become something too important I thought.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 - Repercussions**

* * *

It's a dangerous world out there and everyone is looking for protection and whether we find it in the memory of our lost friends and family, or at the end of a rusted blade, in the arms of our sweetheart, or at the end of a barrel, we do what we believe it is best at the moment without actually thinking of the repercussions our deeds might create.

Each one of them was tired, more and more as they got closer to their destination. The way became harder to walk but in the end they managed to reach what seemed, at first, to be their finish line.

"See anything, Clementine?"

While the little girl climbed a bigger stone on the side of the road the others started talking.

"She better see something'. We've been walkin' for a damn week."

"We've got to find some shelter."

"There is a lift or something." Clementine finally announced us.

"Chair lift?"

"Yeah…" Already with his map out, Luke was finally looking a bit more hopeful. "Must be that ski resort."

"There is, also, a building on the mountain."

"What's it look like?"

"It's big."

"That sounds like a good place to spend the night."

"More or less… "Adeline added as she eyes the place. "One too many windows."

"I can also see a bridge."

"Is it passable?"

"I think so."

"We have to cross that bridge."

"Hold on now. We can't all go sprinting across that thing, okay? If we get spotted out there, we're gonna be trapped." And so Carlos and Luke talked for a bit until it was settled for Luke and Clementine to go and check it out before the entire group does. Adeline tried to press the point that she could be of much more usefulness than a little girl but the men wouldn't want to even hear so she stayed behind with Nick and the others.

"What happened between you two anyway? " It took some time for Adeline to register the fact that she was addressed to.

"Me and Luke? "

"Yes…You were like always together… always one step in front of us."

"Nothing happened."

"Yeah… suure. And now you are the one to stay here and he took Clementine."

"Fuck you Nick!" Grabbing her bow she went after them. And she was quite inspired to follow the couple because as soon as she reached the bridge she saw Luke hanging through a hole in the damn thing and Clementine desperately trying to push a lurker away. Adeline could already see the walker in the pink dress. The little girl grabbed some metal piece to hit it, smart as she was she only targeted the head but as soon as the thing got stuck into the thick skull of the walker Adeline knew Clementine was doomed. She could already see the future, Clem just pulling and pulling at the thing only for the lurker to fall on to her, its heavy form keeping the little one at bay as it would feast upon her flesh but no! Drawing her bow she knew she only had one shot. Her arrow flew right besides Clementine's ear to hit the zombie right in to its chest, followed by another three it was truly dead when another pierced the raw and mushy eye it had and touched its brain.

"Fuck you Luke! SEE WHAT I AM SPEAKING ABOUT!"

"Ohh… I can't really… ta-talk… right now."

After shooting the creep after Luke, Adeline grabbed a pole from the bridge and simply went on the edge of the hole where the man was. With the pole over her shoulder she said in an angry tone. "I am in two minds to let you hang for a while."

"Oh… really! I am the bad guy now!?"

"I never said that! All of this guilt you're harboring is all yours… You are just the stupid one right now."

"Clementine could have handled it!"

"Luke…can you really say **that **in the position you are in?!"

"Fine… fine, give me that damn pole and get me out." In the end she helped him. "Thanks… I guess." Now the girl was waiting for him to catch his breath simply having a defiant pose with her arms crossed in front of her chest. "What? "

"Nothing… let's keep going."

"Adeline…"

"Shh… look there." A man was coming towards them on the bridge.

"Just play it cool… and Adeline… let Clementine do the talking."

"I am not the social type anyway… but Clementine?"

"Yeah… why me?"

"Cause I don't want to get in a fight. You really think he'd shoot a little girl? Just don't make any sudden moves… and Adeline… don't piss him off… I know you're God damn good at that."

"Who's talking?"

"What should I say?"

"I don't know. Ask him for directions."

"Or about the weather if we are at it."

Before Luke could give the woman another annoyed look the man on the other side spoke.

"Well, who are you?" Both her and Luke reached for their weapons.

"Well, who's askin'?"

"I am."

Whispering, Adeline just couldn't hold a comment. "Another funny ass… aren't I glad."

"Shut up!"

"Make me."

"This is actually pretty serious Adeline!"

"No shit Sherlock." Before the couple could continue their unimportant argue Clementine responded to the man.

„ I am Clementine, this is Luke and she's Adeline."

„A trio huh? Clementine, Luke and Adeline." Somehow the plan ‚let Clem do the talking' was good as the stranger started to gain some courage to make a few steps towards us.

„Huh. You don't look like assholes. Are you assholes?"

Another smart comment from Adeline..."I can't vouch for all of us."

"What the?... Adeline!" It is good everything was a whispered quarrel otherwise the man would have had a laugh.

"I am not an asshole!" Little innocent Clementine with her child like answers, the woman simply loved her because of that subtle note in her words right then.

"Wait... Are you calling ME an asshole?" Luke picked on those as well.

"You folks headed north like everyone else?"

"Everyone else?"

It was supposed to be an ordinary day for Matthew… too bad fate had something else to say. This is what went through my thoughts when I saw him staggering around in pain. His desperate face looking accusable at us, his last gurgles as he drowned in to his own blood and his limb body falling off the bridge. I simply stared at the blood forming on the surface of the waters as he went down with the flow. After a while Luke and Nick's yells finally reached me and with tears in my eyes I simply walked towards the idiots. I didn't even realize until it was too late that I have raised my fist towards Nick's face.

"You gave me a clear shot…" And that was it; I hit him as hard as I could turning his right cheek red.

"YOU ASSHOLE!" Luke proceeded in to holding me down as I was ready to continue my punching. I tried to break from his hold only to fall to my knees.

"What's with her?!"

We all know that dangerous man walk among us… what Matthew didn't knew was the fact that the 'friendly faces' where actually hiding one of them. He couldn't have foreseen that a little girl and a couple would bring with them his own death… so the most he could have offered us, as some good willed strangers, was trust. And when we threw it in his face I knew I just broke something important that it is truly hard to get by these days.

Luke, still mad at at the girl deep inside, understood this outburst of hers. If it wasn't Adeline to hit Nick he surely would had done it. As always she gained her composer quickly and was on her way towards the group. They reached a small little cabin just at the end of the bridge but as soon as everyone stopped to take a breath Carlos wanted to talk with Adeline and Luke.

Maybe he read between the glares the couple kept sending one another or maybe he just wanted to talk about Nick, God knows… but Adeline still felt quite numb so she was as on auto pilot the whole time.

"I don't know and nor do I ask about what happened between you two but this has to end. All of these fights between the group will only lead to mayhem." Luke nodded as if taking everything in to account but Adeline was somewhere far away so she nodded as well.

"We can't really do much about it, Carlos… Nick is over the edge and I am worried about him… this might escalate to some serious shit."

"Nick is next on the list to talk about."

"I am not really willing to talk about me Adeline."

"We had sex."

"Adeline!"

"I am tired Luke… and this, as Carlos said, has to end."

"I will let the two of you speak alone after we talk about Nick. The boy as you said is out of control. Luke, as his friend you have to talk to him."

"He won't listen, Carlos. The only one to get to him was Pete."

"Pete is death… we need to find some other way."

"I am on the same page with you here Carlos… but I can' see no way… I don't know." They kept on talking about Nick and other stuff but Adeline stopped listening. Soon Carlos left so the couple fell in to an awkward silence.

"We should at least pretend to be talking, Carlos is eyeing us. "

"What is there to talk about?"

"I said no strings attached!"

"And what was I supposed to get from that?"

"I don't know… that this... wasn't about to turn in to some lovey-dovey shit!"

"Lovey-dovey?! I just… what?"

"You don't know what you want… you just feel guilty."

"No… or yes… "Luke was definitely pretty frustrated and lost.

"Luke… think of it… because this is my logic. You are the leader of this group, these people look towards you for guidance, it is much… yes… but it is the truth. You have to look for the others, not just for me or for this damn relationship that doesn't exist."

"So you created an excuse for me to have a one nightstand."

"Trust me I have my own excuses… I am sorry if this insulted you… I didn't mean it that way."

"But how did you mean it?"

"Luke… don't make me the criminal here. I just appeared next to you almost naked, what do you think was in my mind? love, relationship, a happily-ever-after. Grow up, there are no fairy tales, they weren't before all of this… less chances now with the lurkers around!"

"I never wanted some fairy tale… I just wanted… something normal… If you can't understand that I am sorry then!"

"Luke… God damn it! We are not getting anywhere. We've been at each other throats and I hate it."

"What did you expect… just sex and then all the same?"

"Yes." Luke opened his mouth as if saying something but remained quite dumb looking when he heard that one word.

"What?"

"Yes…"

"What? "

"You heard me Luke… no strings attached meant just that." He simply waved his hand in defeat, if he wanted to say something else didn't matter because they both observed the horde coming… surely attracted by Nick's gun.

By the nightfall they reached the ski lodge Clementine saw. It was pretty secure even with the huge windows… still it gave everyone quite an uneasy feeling. Staying with Clementine Adeline was simply staring at the stars.

"Clementine look up there… you see it?"

"No."

"That long tail… come on, it is visible."

"I think I see it."

"That is the Big Dipper."

"Ohh."

"What are you two girls doing?"

"Adeline was showing me how to find the North Star."

"Until you interrupted us."

"Sorry…"

"Ok… now go at the tip of the Big Dipper."

"Yes…"

"Now follow my finger."

"Ok…"

"Now that, in straight line is the Little Dipper… And the last star at its tail is the North Star."

"I see it!"

"Good Job, Clementine. You wanted to say something, Luke?"

"Well, it'd be good to know if anybody's actually after us. Could probably get a better view from up top. You'd have an easier time getting' up there. You feel like taking a look?" Adeline raised her head towards the huge thing and her hair stand up all at once… "It'll be like climbing a treehouse… You know, just a really tall treehouse... made of iron."

"Finally you trust me with something and it is this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I am afraid of heights."

"Are you kiddin' me?"

"No… I get all dizzy and sick… I fucking hate heights."

"Come on… Clementine wait here." With his hand over her shoulders they made their way towards the thing.

"I'd rather be bit by a lurker than this…"

"Go on… it's not that bad."

"I hate you!"

"The feeling is mutual." Adeline already made her first step up the thing.

"Ha-Ha… I hate you so damn much right now I can't believe you'd do this to me." Throwing words here and there was Adeline's way to keep her attention away from the few meters she'd already made. "You knew about it and now you're taking it out on me aren't you, you damn asshole. You realized it back at the apple tree!" She didn't stop the babbling so she could contain the fear clawing at her heart right now, she spoke so fast that Luke only got a few words here and there but enough to make him laugh.

"I'd catch you if you fall so quit whining… Probably."

"I HEARD THAT YOU ASS!"

"Just climb the damn thing." As he said the last word her foot slipped, she was fast to grab the iron stair with her hands but she froze in place unable to do anything. "Whoa, whoa… You are fine. Just look at me, Okay? You're fine!"

"I am not fine… I am damn sure not moving one inch… here is where I'll DIE! Because of you!"

"Just look at me!"

"I am not MOVING!"

"All right, just- just slow down. Just for a second, okay?"

"Fuck…"

"Look at me okay… If you fall it will be just like before… with the Apple tree." She finally looked down, and what she saw just shocked her for a second, she felt like she is having a bad hangover right now, her head hurts and her stomach is all twisted up in a knot in her throat… but she looked at Luke and realized that he'd catch her and so the trembling, she didn't even realize she had, stopped, she took a deep breath and wanting to say something to the man, something like a thank you or something sweet not what actually came out of her mouth anyway she kept going. "Shut up! You are going to attract all the god damn walkers on us!"

"You have been yelling this whole time!"

"I didn't say it wouldn't be a good idea to attract the walkers on YOU… I am safe here."

"Just climb."

Up on the thing she could finally relax. The view was beautiful but she couldn't really see it right away. The forest was peaceful at night and the stars raining down were breath taking. The only thing she ever saw were the stars anywhere she went. That is why she hated the city she was living in before, in her other life, stars are scarce when the pollution and light hid them.

"See anything?" Now taking out the binocular Clementine lend to her she went over the rail to look around.

"I can see the bridge!..."After a much more thorough look she finally saw the small lights moving around… "Fuck! Luke I think someone followed us…Luke?" And he was gone. After a few lose insults and not so nice commentaries Adeline managed to climb down only to see the group entering the lodge. She followed them inside only to realize that the place wasn't as empty as they hope to be.

"We're cool, okay! Hey, hey, we're cool, we're cool."

"Everyone calm down!" So Adeline missed the discussion so she had to get the short part about putting their weapons away from Alvin. When she saw Luke unsheathing his machete she knew they have already made a decision. She laid her bow as well, keeping the dagger she had concealed at her back.

It was hard to let go and give in to trust when the world doesn't allow it anymore, not as if it ever allowed it to begin with but humans can choose to blame the outbreak for all of this pain and not themselves if they want to. It was nice for Adeline to finally meet actual people that don't try to 'survive' but to actually live for the moment with their loved ones, it was nice to see Clementine actually smiling not forcing herself to do that fake little curl of her lips, it was nice to have a little break from everything else. The woman after a few hours there went back to the entrance, where their weapons where and under Walter's eyes she took out her blade and laid it there. You'd believe that was a way to show her gratitude to the man but no… she didn't even knew he was watching her; she simply wanted to get away from the thing for at least a few moments.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 - Merry Christmas**

A/N Well… from here on now the true action should start as Carver is finally coming in to the picture.

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There is a reason people can't wait for Christmas, and that has nothing to do with family or that Santa looking chocolate, or the unexpected partner you find under the mistletoe, or with the presents, the gifts might be important for the kids but that doesn't count now… Everybody loves Christmas because it is a time for miracles and if humanity ever needed a miracle that would be now.

"The angel looks lovely, Clementine!"

"She looks so cool!"

"Beautiful. I used to love this time of year. You know, now that your friends are here, this place is starting to feel like a real home." The girls kept on chatting but Adeline grew bored quite quickly, they weren't about to settle here so these trivial information were just useless and in the future might turn up to bad memories so she went on one of the couches in front of the fire. Lying down on the soft material she simply got lost in her thoughts until the sweet touch of her eye lids took her to dreamland in a wonderful nap.

The sweet song echoing through those halls almost made that place seemed like a little part stolen from that world and thrown in to Heaven. The girls were humming some Christmas Carol, Walter was enjoying his time with Kenny simply preparing the meal, Luke and Nick were finally having their talk and even Carlos joined his daughter in decorating the place. Maybe the Christmas spirit was real somehow? Even though it wasn't the time nor the season, the state of mind was there… peace and quiet…

The small flame was crackling in the fireplace, emanating just enough light to warm up the place. Its hot touch was like a caress on Adeline's bruised skin, a smile formed on her lips. She had no idea Luke just sat next to her sleeping form, but he wasn't doing anything, he was simply staring at the fire dancing in front of him. He leaned his elbow by the side of the couch and his chin rested in to his palm.

"You ok man?" Nick sat on the sofa next to them.

"Yeah… I'm just… I wish I hadn't pulled that trigger."

"Just try to forget about it…"

"Yeah…

"Come on man… try to cheer up a bit."

"Cheer up?"

"Yeah… The others are starting to worry about you."

"So what?"

"Nick… you... " Before the conversation could go anywhere else Adeline, still sleeping, started shifting until she grabbed Luke's leg and pulled herself in his lap. The poor guy simply raised his hands as if in surrender and watched as she found her place on his legs. Her head snuggled in to his muscle torso grabbing with both of her hands on to the hem of his shirt like a little child. Even Nick smiled at the whole image.

"If you stay in that position you might get what I got when she wakes up." His hand pointing out at the nice little bruise on his cheek.

"She grabbed on to me!"

"Well… a few years ago you'd pray to God for something like this to happen."

"Yeah… not how I imagined it, though."

"What happened between you two? I've been trying to find out for days!"

"I don't know, man… she simply came to me and we kind of... had sex"

"Kind of fucked?"

"Yeah… kind of… and in the next morning I simply try to kiss her and she gives me this hurt look and says 'no strings attached'. Fuck if I know what that meant at the moments… it seemed it was translated as a one nightstand."

"Oh... men... even in the apocalypse women are just women."

"The first smart thing you said in months, Nick." They kept on talking until Walter called everyone to dinner that is when Luke had to find some way to either wake Adeline up or escape her grip. After a few attempts in which he realized he couldn't get her to free him he had to wake her up. After moving away some of her wayward strands of hair from her forehead he finally spoke.

"Hey… Adeline… Del… wake up." He earned a few grumblings from her so he started to shake her shoulder gently for a little until the girl just raised and stranded herself around his shoulder.

"Tom... just a little while… I am so tired… so God damn tired." And now he heard Tom's name again… and being so attached to him and dreaming of this guy could only mean that she was much closer to him than just a survival buddy. Somehow the pieces were starting to fit.

"Sugar… I'm no Tom. It's Luke… wake up… dinner is ready." Her eyes widen in shock as the haze of sleep slipped from her gaze.

"I am sorry Luke… I don't know what gotten in to me." Her cheeks were fiery red and she just couldn't look the man in his eyes, she simply jumped in the furthest corner of the couch with her hands wrapped in her lap.

"No problem… dinner is ready… let's go eat." His hand as if summoned grabbed a long curl from her raven hair and pushed it behind her ear. "Let's go."

Dinner was awkward in especially because Clementine went to Kenny's table which kind of brought Luke down, his disappointment present all over his features. In the end the group talked about the lights Adeline saw. After some debate and hard facts they, halfheartedly, decided to leave in the morning. As the conversation continued Luke and Nick went to the other table around Clementine. Somewhere deep inside Adeline felt a bit jealous until she realized that this feeling was directed to a little 11 years old girl and it was simply putting stupid… still she couldn't hold it in so after eating she simply went in front of the fire to find warmth. She stayed there for quite a while until slowly her eyes started surveying the place. Christmas lights, a duck, fireplace, some chairs, a nice carpet, a little table, a photo with the guy that Nick killed and Walter… fuck! She jumped so suddenly that she almost fell back on to the ground. Almost crawling her way to the little picture on that little table she freaked out completely. Her feet quickly led her to Luke who was still trying to savor his bowl of peaches and beans.

"Luke… we have to talk… it is urgent!"

"What could be so urgent?!" She practically stuffed the small frame in to his face but when he saw it he almost choked with his food.

"Dammit!"

"We are fucked!"

"Dammit Nick! We have to tell Clementine!"

"She's 11 what can she do about this?!"

"She knows these people or at least she knows Kenny… she could have a clue on how they will react."

"Fine… tell her."

And so everything fell apart and the chaos began. A bad thing after the other the domino pieces were falling one by one, firstly Walter already knew, secondly the walkers came and then Adeline with Luke were watching from their cover in the woods as Carver's group started to raid the place.

"Fuck! No!"

Family. There is nothing more important sometimes. They are the ones that get you out of troubles, the ones that might be the pillars of your whole life… so Adeline wasn't going to let this one just go… just like that because a maniac said so.

"We have to go and help them."

"What? Are you nuts?"

"We can't just abandon them, Luke!"

"We are not, but we'll surely as hell going to be much more useful from the side ways."

"Luke!"

"You don't know Carver, fuck, you can't imagine what that man is capable of!"

"I don't care!"

"Del… please… trust me! What you gonna do anyway? Who is the big hero now?!"

"I don't know…"

"Exactly. We'll stay behind and make a plan… that is our only option!"

"I hate it when you're right."

Soon their friends were tied up and thrown into a truck.

"How are we going to follow that thing?!"

"I don't know… we'll have to improvise."

"Luke…"

"I don't care how but we will follow that thing… also I know where their camp is. I theoretically knew where they are heading."

"Theoretically?"

"I already told you to trust me… so trust me."

"Fine… I am all yours."

"It's going to be a tough way… like a few days or so… and we won't be ready to catch much sleep… So if you really want to help me… I won't judge you if you don't…"

"What are you implying, Luke?"

"You know… if you want to leave or something."

"Luke…"

"I don't know… I just said…"

"Then shut up next time."

"Ok… thx then."

"Let's go you big dummy."

And so both of them ran after the truck tracks. The easiest were the first steps, but when tiredness caught up with them, that is when this entire ordeal started to show up. In a few days they reached a city. What was worse was the fact that they were deprived of sleep and starving so yeah… the best way to face Carver was not right now.

Adeline was snoozing on her watch. Luke found her like that, sitting on the ground, hugging her bow as her head stayed between her knees. He knew they were at their limit, but this wasn't supposed to be easy so they just have to keep on going.

_This is what I learned from Luke in that week. Failure is inevitable; even so never let it take the best of you. Failure is not meant to have the last word, you have to hold on to that last grain of hope with everything you have. Never give in, never give up. Stand up and face the truth._

"Del… Deli?"

"I told you not to call me that. It's annoying."

"I know… but I am too tired to call you Adeline… and Deli is nicer."

"Gosh… something happened while I was out?"

"No. Don't worry."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't realize I fell asleep."

"Don't worry about it… we just..." Luke was just as spent as her… as his eye lids were closing the girl knew he needed rest more than her.

"Dammit Luke… sleep." His eyes opened again.

"No I can't… we have… to help the others. Help each other… let's keep going."

"We'll fall asleep walking."

"Then we have to keep each other awake…"

"And how do you intend to do that."

"I can see talking does the trick just well."

"I guess so… Talk about what?"

"I don't know… You could talk about yourself."

"You are really desperate in finding out my history, huh?"

"Ehh… not really, not anymore… I was… but then i got that each one of us has its own closet skeletons."

_In that moment maybe I was just too tired but I just started talking to him. I could barely see in front of me, my legs weren't under my body anymore and my head kept bumping in to my chest from time to time but I told Luke almost everything about me. I guess history is just bound to repeat itself otherwise why would it resurface time, after time, after time?_

"Then Tom took me with him. I was a mess, you can imagine… worse than n-now."

"Hey… wake up… You are just getting to the important part."

"I am sorry *yawn* where was I?"

"This Tom just took you with him."

"Yeah… Tom. We then found a small group of people, neighbors and acquaintances… we were doing fine in a huge mall we had in the city until a fucking ambulance entered right through the front doors with its horns screaming for dinner time. Later I and Tom found these bandits that actually wanted us dead… anyhow… from that just a few from the group survived and so we were on the roads again with nothing on us. As the days passed the others passed as well… one by one, either suicide, bitten, eaten, shot, quite irrelevant."

"What happened to Tom? He seems the important thing in your story."

"I remained with him alone. As useless as I was he taught me what he knew and as if his sole purpose on this planet was to teach me he... he died soon enough."

"I… I am sorry."

"And it was this useless death… The lurkers, an entire horde was after us and we managed to enter in some kind of a football field which had these really tall gates and a shower cabin. Tom helped me on to the cabin but I just couldn't get to him…" Even though she was talking more or less conscious she felt as if she was reliving the moments because as she spoke tears began rolling down her cheek and she only spoke between sobs and deep breaths. Luke grabbed Adeline in a tight hug letting her bury her head in to his chest. Some of our wounds, we carry them everywhere… and though the cuts are long gone, the pain still lingers… the pain from that day still lingered. "As the things got to him he offered me his backpack and knife and screamed: 'Don't forget the promise, A. Keep on, for me! I… I love you!" Her fingers grabbed the torn fabric of Luke's shirt as she tried to calm herself.

"I am sorry… I shouldn't have asked."

"Then he came back as one of them… I stayed on that fucking roof for a week begging my fingers to kill him… he soon left, limped somewhere else." She couldn't' tell him how she watched the poor man scream in pain as those things started eating him, how the lurkers grabbed and shredded at his flesh, how their teeth pulled and chewed his muscles, his screams of pain after what seemed like hours simply stooping abruptly, she couldn't tell him how Tom's dead eyes were always looking at her accusatory with their fish like glare… she couldn't tell him how she blamed herself for the man's death and final mutilation… she couldn't tell him how she followed him for days afterwards simply looking how it preyed on to the weak and how she couldn't save any of his victims just because she couldn't hurt Tom… she just couldn't.

"This is why you helped me with Pete." She nodded in his chest. "And this is why you wanted to bury him?"

"A human being should be allowed to at least say goodbye, bury or put down their loved ones… I couldn't do any of those…"

"Those last words from him were a goodbye."

"No!... That was a confession."

"If I was in his place I would have done the same. What he did was a goodbye." What's worse? New wounds, which are so horribly painful or old wounds which never heal? That is what I asked myself… Why would he say that he would try to bring the same pain to me as Tom did?! Why would he say he'd leave me all alone in a world like this? Adeline simply pulled away from his embrace; her tears cleaning the dust on her face in a straight line were still coursing, her moist red eyes eyeing the man with fierce anger.

"Why would you?"

"If it meant saving your live why wouldn't I?"

"This is what I spoke about… this thing growing between the two of us it is dangerous and consuming."

"Thing? Lovey- dovey?"

"Yes… lovey-dovey... it already made you blind…."

"No… I'm no blind man."

_Our lives are brief. So why are we left on this world? Why does God offer us the breath of life? I'd like to believe it is because we need to find meaning from this pathetic line of pain and wounds. We must find a way to fight through, because life can't be outrun and neither can pain… the sick fact is that those two are in a tight connection… life always breeds more pain… so we must find meaning from all of this we have to endure. Some can find it through family, or in the warmth of their friends, some search it through control and cruelty… they finding it from the feeling of superiority and some simply aren't smart enough to even look for it so they find it through ignorance. Then, there are those who make their life meaningful by making a great sacrifice… to the humanity, some country, group or even their own believes… or by saving the life of the one they cherish the most. I never understood that… I never got why Tom never fought for his life… he was simply clinging to mine, he was simply content with the fact that I kept on going… he…he…_

As Adeline simply stared at Luke it started raining. All of the sudden the sky cracked releasing torrents of small drops of water. Drenched to the bones Luke took the girl once again in his arms and slowly pushed her in to a small pharmacy right next to them. The place wasn't the most secure but it would keep them away from the rain.

Sitting between two shelves he found a small blanket which he strapped it around Adeline's frail shoulders. Pain... You can only hope it goes away on its own. Hope that the wound that caused it heals. There are no solutions. No easy answers, no easy way out. You just breathe deep and wait for it to subside. And that is what Adeline did until finally whispering a 'Thank you!'

"No problem."

"No… I really mean it…for everything," Her lips came on to his cheek and they lingered there until his lips came to hers.

"I guess we are just two puppets now." That kiss they shared drenched in a ruin of a pharmacy was like a first kiss… or it felt like one anyway. Kisses are often such an overrated act from a 'lover'. The truth is that not the act itself is meaningful, no! If people would pay more attention they'd realize just how important a kiss can be, how much energy it can convey and how many emotions it can create. A kiss which was only meant to excite is empty, just an exchange of saliva as some would say… but what they shared there it was something true, something filled to burst with promise… promise of happiness.

In that night I realized that if it was for me to die… at least I was going to die together with Luke… with no remorse of breaking that promise.

_Happiness? Huh? We are all spending our lives hunting for it when most of the times she's just a bitch exposing herself right in front of us but you wouldn't see her curvy forms because of her pathetic and disappointing state… so many deny it. They deny its frivol touch and they hate its inadequate way of simply pushing herself on to them… yet I realized that this whore was right in front of my eyes and it wasn't so bad to accept her embrace._

Drops of rain were still dripping from their wet hair on to their soft, heated skin some of them even reaching their lips as they parted for each other. Her hands kept his face at close reach and his hands crushed her back as they explored… They both needed this… this pure and honest moment… a true pact between the two…. To get tangled between the strings their fate will twist. Even as tired as they were and as starving as they felt it didn't matter, all they wanted was to sink in to each other. Somehow this road brought them together back from the pit they fell because of Adeline's own selfishness and pride. Finally they took a breath and simply stared in to each other's eyes as they panted.

_This was the moment that it occurred to me that God worked in mysterious ways, but, perhaps out of boredom, he isn't quite subtle as others believe._

She took an interest in all of his features, his big brown eyes, the messy hair all sticking to his face, all the cuts and bruises tainting his pale skin, all the sharp edges, the unshaved chin and his red moist lips she just had. He looked scruffy… but not in a bad way.

"This is what I wanted?"

"Huh?"

"Back before the ski lodge… you said I didn't know what I want… this is what I want."

_Without this tiredness to fog our minds I am sure none of this would had happened. He'd be too absorbed in finding the others and I would have never stepped on to my pride and on to Tom… but all is for the best or worse… Life is messy… Why not make the best of it even with some sacrifices here and there? _


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 - Just Rest**

A/N One new fanart drew by me. You can find it on my page if you want to :D

(the thing didn't work properly... sorry)

* * *

_This is what rainy days are good for. They make everything clean again… Even though outside it was still pouring in my heart the storm ended. All the trees were uprooted and all that I've build crumbled to bits but the wind hushed and the rain stopped. The sky cleared almost instantly as I accepted him, in those quiet moments when only the small drops of rain crashed to the ground I realized that I was still strong enough to survive…. Strong enough to forget and/or accept my past. Some would think that without history, our lives would mean nothing… at some point we turn our way and choose a road… is it good? Is it bad? That is irrelevant… what matters is if we step forward and accept the new. It's hard not to be haunted by our past. Our history shapes us, mutilates us… but there comes that point were we make a decision. What little did I learned from this is that boundaries don't keep people out, they didn't keep Luke away from me, they fenced me in only for I to escape without realizing it. I wasted years drawing lines when I could had lived crossing them._

As Adeline felt Luke's wet palm on her abdomen she realized just what he had in mind.

"On the floor of a pharmacy… with walkers sure to come?"

"There is no lurker and the place is nailed shut."

"What about Carver?"

"As we planned, we'll rest for a day."

"What about the others?"

"I'll feel bad later."

_Love… or passion is a potent and dreaded force that remains in our hearts long after the true feeling faded away. It's something that can push us into the arms of an unexpected lover. After Tom, I never expected to feel anyone else yet Luke got under my skin. He fed me a sensation so overwhelming that it knocked all the walls I so desperately build. He offered me a feeling so intense that after I said 'no!' it resurfaced in my weakest moments only to lead me to this point… where Luke became my reason to live, my reason to step on Tom and on everything I believed this far. But why is that? Well I guess they both share one thing… my Gratitude._

Soon enough Adeline was lost in Wonderland drinking tea with the mad Hatter wishing for Time to let it be forever 6 o'clock and let her and Luke be lost in one another for as long as they'll live. As their body moved they felt their control slowly slipping away, their hearts pounded hard almost breaking from their chest but their lips never parted, their gaze never fell from one another. It wasn't like in the forest next to that river where they simply answered their needs not once looking in to the other ones eyes, not once caressing their scared skin, not once kissing their bruises, not once did they felt that beautiful innocents of the simple act itself, the shyness and the compromises. He was willing to give her control as she was willing to give it up and at the end they just stayed like that one in the arms of the other simply side by side staring at the moldy dusty ceiling. Adeline, with her head on the man's chest, was listening to his heart beats as his hand caressed her side, occasionally her breast.

"I feel like saying something."

"Nobody stops you, Luke."

"I don't really know what." With a peaceful smile on her lips she shifted to stay on top of him, with her head on top of her crossed arms on his chest. She gave him a small and quick playful kiss.

"Then don't say anything."

"Hmm… we are on a floor completely naked while all the others are kind of fucked with Carver…"

"You feel guilty?"

"I told you that I'll feel bad later." He rose from the ground slowly taking her with him. "You should get dressed…"

"I guess I should." Both of them recuperating their, still, wet clothes soon were ready to move on until Adeline told Luke she can hear something. After carefully searching the place they found a small room with a walker inside. Luke easily killed the thing by simply stomping his foot on to his head.

The dead, escaping one last moan, stopped moving forever. After retreating his leg Adeline could see the poor woman clearly, because of Luke half of her face had been smashed in and her skull was clearly split wide open letting a thick reddish brown fluid flow but everything else besides that was gruesome. The lurker died in an old puddle of blood filled with chunks of meat which by looking at her body definitely came from her. She didn't die normally and neither did a lurker do this to her… she has been murdered a long time ago. Her legs were cut and her arms were tied behind her by a radiator… Adeline couldn't say if one of the hands was ripped by the same person or if she ripped it from his arm but it was right next to its naked body now.

"This is ironic."

"Kind of."

"And this- this was right next to us as we…"

"Kind of."

"Well, this ruined the mood."

"Kind of." This was the only thing the woman could say at the whole picture.

Finally, both of them stopped staring as they made their way out of the building. It stopped raining which was good so they went for Howe's Hardware where Carver has made a "SAFE HAVEN" as he called it to the strangers he wanted to trick.

"Do you hear that?" The woman could clearly hear a muffled something, something worrying.

"What? I can't hear anything."

"Shh… Sh-Shh." They both stopped in their tracks just to listen. In time, as the sound came to them it became clearly what it was.

"Lurkers."

"A lot of them."

Running in to a house nearby and going to the rooftop they could finally hear the horde.

"They must be hundreds."

"Fuck!"

"We just have to get all the others out." The man was clearly panicking, his eyes moving around surveying the horde as his lips simply moved letting everything he thinks out. "… and fast…otherwise we are kind of fucked… really fucked! Dammit!"

"Luke… LUKE! Settle down."

"How?! Look at that! Just…look at that! DAMMIT!"

"Hey... Hey… Look… isn't that Howe's Hardware?"

"Yup… so damn close to the horde. Fuck… This is so fucked."

"That's unimportant… or maybe just a bit important… anyhow… they are there and we are just so close. There is still hope." _I still remember those stupid quotes you could easily find on the internet. Some of them seemed genius at the moment but one of them in particular touched me since those days 'In reality, hope is the worst of all evils, because it prolongs the torments of man.". If that engraved itself in to my mind why did I tell Luke that there is still hope I don't know. Maybe I just lied to him; maybe I actually believed my words… That I don't know either. It was an empty word if you think of it but then it strikes me._ "Luke. Before you give up… think of the reason why we are here."

"I didn't say I give up… I just said we are fucked."

"Well, we are always fucked, what is the difference now."

"Point taken." Let's go.

* * *

"Ok... ok… you'll have to go over this fence… and see if there is anyone around… I'll give you boost." Adeline pressed her foot on to Luke's hands as he pushed her up. Grabbing the fence with her fingers she managed to raise her eyes just enough to look over it.

"So? See anything?"

"Hmm… no…"

"See… I told you..." As Luke talked a lurker almost got the best of him but, letting go to Adeline who simply remained grabbed by the fence, he managed to put it down. "Sorry… I didn't' hear it. You can jump, I'll catch you."

"Ok… now what, Luke?"

"Well. We need to find some…weak point in their structure. "

"Ok… let's go. "

Soon they found a moving board on the side of the building. Slowly loosening the nails they managed to get in to the place.

"Ok… if it is as I remember it. The comic store is a safe place to stay in… "

"Comic store?"

"Follow me." They met up with some of Carver's people but they managed to remain silent and unseen. Entering the place Luke talked about they both managed to relax a little. The place was pretty empty and as both of them remained with no supplies whatsoever that was a bummer.

"God, Luke." The woman kept on scratching her eyes. "How are we going to talk with the others?"

"I don't… I don't know… maybe we'll get lucky and they will simply pass around."

"What?"

"This place is quite… is quite used… maybe they will send one of them around to fix the wall that we just pluck out… or, fuck if I know."

"Luke."

"We can't go out… they have guards everywhere... you've seen them…"

"We need to check the place."

"I know... trust me I know. I just wanted… to…"

"Luke!"

"S-Sorry! I'm so tired." He crashed to the floor with his hand on to his face. "I don't know how we are going to do this."

"Shh… shh."

A few lights could be seen through the gaps in the door. Luke grabbed her hand and pulled her behind some boxes. With their breath held they waited for the guards to pass the place.

"I heard something here."

"Fine Wyatt... let's look it up."

"Weren't you supposed to guard the other wing, Vince?"

"Yeah… but that asshole Troy took my shift… Carver wanted him to look out at our new friends "They continued their talk but the couple couldn't hear it anymore.

"They'll be back so keep silent." Luke walked towards the door to take a quick peek. "It seems they found the board… our exit is done."

"We can find another one if we really need one."

"They are coming… "

Again the two passed the comic store. The couple panicked for a bit when one of the flashlights fell on to the door.

"What is it?"

"Last time I found here a Green Lantern 1st edition from 1941 Origin of the Green Lantern retold…"

"We don't have the time! Come on, the others are waiting."

"Come on, dude."

"No!"

"Fine!" And so the light was gone.

"God dammit… I thought we were fucked."

"We are kind of fucked, Luke."

"I know." Again he took the same position; his back hunched his legs simply laid in front of him and his head in his hands. Adeline hated to see him like that; he didn't feel like the Luke she knew.

"Hey… we'll find a way."

"Yeah… with that horde coming towards us where will we go?"

"I don't know… but we'll find a way. Let's take this step by step… first thing first let's look around for a bit no?"

"Fine let's go."

They looked around for a bit but enough for Luke to make a plan so returning to the Comic store they talked on some ways to get a message to the group until the morning when Bonnie answered their prayers. "Hey Troy! Clem's just gonna take them boys some nails."

"Did I hear that right?"

"Good… this is good. Somehow we have to attract Clem's attention." Both of them listened closely to what happened, the whole walker breach 'till Troy's outburst. "This is our opening." Taking a peek through the small; gaps in the door he reached out and pulled Clementine in, which was fighting like hell.

"Aaargh! Stop! Hey! It's me!"

"Clem, it's us."

"Luke! Adeline!"

"Yes! Man… bit the hell outa me. Think you drew blood. I come all this way…and this is- this is the welcoming I get?" Before Luke could whine some more Clementine took him in to her arms in one big hug.

"None for me… I guess I know who's your favorite… I will go feel sorry in the corner now." The little girl grabbed Adeline's waste as well with a little smile on her cute dusty face.

"I was worried. We all were."

"It's good to see you too, kid. All right, listen, we ain't got much time, okey?" And so Luke told her about everything, the girl was a bit worried about their pathetic state but after he explained her the fact that no sleep and no food would lead to this she seemed even worried now… Good job Luke! The girl soon left after an annoyed Troy called her out. Poor Clementine.

"Dammit! What now Luke?"

"Nothing really. All depends on Clem from this point."

"I hate this plan."

"It's all we've got."

"I hate it anyway."

Once again Luke almost feel asleep standing so after some arguing, Adeline managed to get him to rest for a bit.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 - Trauma**

* * *

_We often learn our most important lessons from our mistakes, even if it is when we open our eyes to life's injustice or when we realize that relationships are not in black and white… they all hit us hard sometimes and in those moments we learn our lesson and try to never do that again… well, right now I might just learn to behave myself because I will pay the ugly cost of challenging authority and I will realize just as small and insignificant I am._

"Luke?! Luke what the fuck are you doing?"

"Stay here… I am just goin' to grab a can or somethin'."

"No! It's just too risky! ARE YOU crazy! Come back here!"

"Shh!"

"Fuck you, Luke! Come back here!"

Adeline simply stared from her corner as the man made his way towards the food supply. He actually got pretty close until Adeline saw Troy turn a corner, but before she could actually do anything the man already raised his gun towards Luke.

"What do we have here?"

"Fuck!"

"Oh… you don't even know. Russell!"

"Yes?!" A boy not older than Adeline came and his eyes widen in shock as he saw Luke.

"You really didn't see this asshole here?"

"Must have slipped me."

"Well. YOU SHIT HEADs SHOULD TRY TO DO A BETTER JOB NEXT TIME! IT'S LIKE I'M THE ONLY ONE ACTUALLY DOIN' SOMETHIN' HERE! Go call Carver… He'd like to see him." But the man was already there as he saw the entire thing from his window at the first floor. Troy, still holding a gun at his head, went behind Luke to give Bill some space.

"So you finally paid us a visit…" Before Luke could actually answer Carver punched him, as the man was weak from this entire week he went down hard on to the floor. Spitting some blood he just tried to get up only to end up again on the ground from a kick in the stomach this time. Adeline was long since out of her cover and as that blow hit Luke she was already on to Carver. With her knife out she could hear her each steps on to the floor tiles. Her hand was trembling but her fingers were tightly clenched on to the handle of the blade as she sunk it in to the man's shoulder. He barely flinched and that might only be because the girl surprised him. She managed to also punch him before Troy intervened. She fell on to Luke before having one nice blow from the butt of their capture's gun right in her right cheek. It hurt like hell but she still kept clenching her teeth as she tried to get back on to her feet but Carver had other ideas. After getting that knife from his shoulder he punched her again and again until the woman stopped squirming, only her gaze keeping its rebellious energy. Luke tried to help her but Troy wasn't going to let him so they both ended up beaten as hell.

"I see you brought your girlfriend as well. You know I just hate surprises, Luke." His fingers grabbed a fist from her hair as he brought her up from the ground. "Still she's such a looker… "He grabbed her chin with his other hand. "You know? Luke… you took something of mine… I might just do the same." The girl spit, more blood than saliva but it's the gesture that counts. "Too bad she doesn't know what manners are… don't worry I'll fix that." Still, fumbling the floor she grabbed her dagger and quickly she cut her long hair being released from Carvers hold. He didn't give her much of a break as he incapacitated her once again with a kick from her knee in to her abdomen.

That is when Luke snapped; desperately trying to get out of Troy's hold he started screaming.

"Don't you dare touch her! Leave her be… she has nothing to do with you and me!" Carver simply laughed. The woman curled in to a ball as everything inside her hurt.

"Troy! Go bring our little friends…"

"On it."

All the others soon appeared and Carver as he always does he kept one of his speeches but with one last defiant act Adeline simply started laughing as she finally managed to break from that fetal position and come up on to her feet.

"How stupid can you be?" She still laughed even though she saw his glare; if looks could kill she'd be dead. The man's fist grabbed her shirt as he pulled her closer to her.

"You are lucky I like you… "He whispered as his fist once again punched her. Throwing her back he raised a radio and continued his little discourse. Soon he ended the little show almost killing Kenny. Lucky to them Bonnie decided to intervene.

"All right, everyone come with me. Bonnie, you stick around. Make sure these folks don't get into anymore trouble. "

"Yeah… okay."

"And no supper for y'all tonight. Maybe an empty stomack'll give you some perspective… then we'll try this again tomorrow…. Ah and the new girl… the one playing with fire… I want to see her in to my office."

"What?! Bill she's already done… can't you…"

"You didn't hear me Bonnie?"

"Will do."

"Good."

_Now you must understand what I was talking… about challenging authority. I actually never thought I had it in me but as Luke said… I didn't know what that man was capable of. It is a shocking moment when you realize you are fucked. The moment when you realize just how alone you actually are on to this world. The people we take for granted might not be what we think, the family we loved might take the blow for us but not save us from the after effect. The man we love so deeply perhaps won't be able to help. And then we could end up all by ourselves in the hands of a mad man._

Adeline woke up on a chair with the worse headache she ever had. Getting up she needed to lean for a bit by the desk next to her, her hand came to her abdomen as a shooting burning pain came from there. Raising her shirt she could see a huge bruise forming. Let's hope it is just a bruise. Taking a few steps around she soon spotted Alvin.

„Alvin? Are you... ok?" Trying to make her way towards the man she stumbled over her own feet and fell to the floor where she started coughing. Soon she even threw up a little... some blood and whatever was left in her stomach. „Well... this is not good. Dammit." Breading hard she managed to get back on to her feet only to crash on to one of the walls there. „Alvin... Alvin?" Her voice was so weak she couldn't recognize herself but soon she managed to get to the man. After checking his pulse she realized the man wasn't dead but he was in a much worst state than her.

"Well don't concern yourself with his wellbeing… not with you being in the same position." She didn't hear him entering but judging from the deep scratchy voice no doubt who that was.

"What do you want from me?"

"I am trying to teach you a little discipline."

_I already knew what he meant… and it wasn't discipline… maybe just some way to get revenge on Luke or even myself for my disobeying as he'd call it. That was my worst fear even before all the zombie shit._

Adeline sitting on the chair Bill showed her felt numb… like nothing else mattered. Why wasn't she fighting back?… that is because just the thought of what that man will do to her was traumatic enough. Her head became flooded with emotions; it felt as if some circuit in her mind broke and as if the centers of her brain fried out… or maybe she was simply putting too exhausted to fight anymore. The cost of this blown circuit is the lack of emotions everything for her was just like some retarded movie that wouldn't end. She simply allowed the man to undress her, to feel her skin, to bring more pain where the wounds were, he allowed him to do anything to her until in the end as he threw a blanket over her she woke up… the only sign of that fact were the tears that simply started rolling down her skin… no sound, no sobbing, nothing… just her tears simply flowing.

* * *

"She said she can get us out of the pen if we can get the PA system going. Second she hears it she'll run over and spring us."

"That's great."

"It's not great."

"What are you talking about?"

Before Luke could answer them Carver brought Adeline back. He simply pushed her on to the ground afterwards throwing her clothes in.

"I have to check on something. They are all yours for tonight Bonnie."

Adeline was simply clutching the blanket she had over her, the tears still not stopping. Luke rushed towards her crashing to his knees.

"Del… Dely. What did he do to you? Talk to me… its Luke."

"What do you think he did to her… he raped her…" Before Mike could continue Nick pulled the man aside.

"Shut up!"

After a few minutes in which Luke simply wanted to get through to Adeline he simply took her up bridal style and took her to one of the beds. There slowly he started dressing her.

"Hey… you hear me?" He pressed his forehead to hers as he took her in to his arms. Her gaze was empty as if she wasn't even there but this little warmth Luke was offering her finally managed to touch her. Finally she escaped a sob so hard that it almost burned in her chest. Her hands grabbed his shoulders as she actually began to cry.

"Hey… hey… all is going to be ok."

"You don't believe that yourself!" He didn't disagree but he simply sat next to her in the bed taking her on to his lap, letting her tears flow and taint his chest. Every sob and cry she made simply enraged him even more… from all the things Carver did this was the last drop. He was stroking her back as he was trying to hold on the trembling in his arms. Soon the girl stopped but her grip on to him simply tightened. He kissed her forehead gently while wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Better now?" Her answer was a sigh. "Hey… speak to me."

"And what should I say?"

"I don't know… anything to keep your mind off from all of this shit."

"Do you like my new hair?" Luke couldn't hold in a small chuckle.

"I always loved short hair on girls… it gives them a sexier edge."

"I'm glad…" The smile on her lips slowly faded as her head fell in to her chest. His fingers grabbed her chin pulling it up in to a kiss. At first she froze, tangible she was petrified but slowly realizing this was no Carver she melted in to the man's touch which seemed to at least for a bit erase her worries and thoughts. Again the tears sprang but she answered to his kiss. She felt hollow inside as if everything that made her was burned to ashes by Bill… now she understood Luke's and the others fear… the man was a monster.

In that kiss they both promised something to each other… Bill was going to pay for this. Bill was going to die for sure… if not by their hand at least by their intervention.

_It doesn't matter how tough I thought I was… or how tough Luke thought he was because all of this marked him at least just as much as it marked me. Trauma will always leave a scar which will simply burn us anywhere we go… even back then in his arms, with his taste on my lips it haunted me… it surely changed the both of us… it surely messed me up… But maybe all of that happened for a reason… maybe all of the pain, fear and everything else that this event brought had a point. Maybe going through all of this crap was what will help the both of us to keep going… to push us. Getting a little messed up will help us step up… in his anger Luke will surely want revenge… and in my terrible state I will surely want revenge… we'll see if we get it._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 - Pity**

**A/N** Hmm… kind of spoily for episode 4… but not too much still it's your choice to read it. Not really very spoily but the next ones definitely are going to be filled. Also I hate the fact (or this is my thought) that Adeline is a bit like Jane… even the hair which came in to my mind because I just got a new hairstyle…I (or the hair dresser?) mutilated my hair cutting it really short and now I feel sorry… but crap happens even without walkers to fuck everybody up :D I guess it's not right to compare a bad haircut with the apocalypse but I can't help it.)… it's going to be fun to make the girls communicate with one another… hmm. Anyhow thx for sticking with me and don't forget… SPOILER ALERT ahead for episode 4 which just got out today. YAY AND NO YAY BECAUSE I HATE TELLTALE! Because they fuck up with everybody's feelings and I don't want to spoil GO PLAY It! =))

* * *

Bones break, organs burst, flesh tears… but you can always stich yourself… you can always lick your wounds and make an OD on pain killers… but when you break there are no cures but your own will. For every wound, every infection the important part is to find it and as humans are the most prideful shits on the planet when we break down there are no signs so the wound just tears open more and more… there is nothing worst or better.

"Ok… so this is the plan? "

The others were already setting the details of their soon to come escape so Luke kind of got a bit panicked. He got up but soon his hand came to his side as he contorted his face in pain. "Dammit… can you move? We need… I need to talk to the others…"

"You don't need to babysit me, okay?"

"What?"

"I know that face, Luke." It's the same look Tom always had when he looked at her. Pity.

"Del… please."

"Please what?"

"Stop this… I ain't liking the look on your face right now either!"

"Luke…"

"Adeline… please."

"No… no 'please's! Luke… we really have to talk." She stopped and closed her eyes to take a few breaths in until she finally opened them back. "If you would had been smart enough you'd had listened to me… now that god damn… I don't even know what to call him won."

"He ain't won anything yet."

"Yes… he did… even if we are to escape… He had his ways… Alvin is surely dead… you are just too weak to do anything… I am not speaking about myself right now… just thinking of it makes me feel so damn dirty… Damn it!"

Looking back, it's easy to see when a mistake has been made. To regret a choice that seemed like a decent idea at the time. But if we used our best judgment and listen to our hearts, we're most likely to see that we chose wisely.

"Where do you want to get, Del?"

"I don't know, Luke." Her head was pounding hard as if a ball of needles has entered through her eyes to turn her brain in to mush and now as all of her senses started to come back she brought her knees to her chest. Everything hurt like hell!... she surely had a few broken ribs… her shoulder seemed a bit dislocated… her neck burned in some spots like an infection that men let in to her… and her legs were simply putting heavy… no mentioning about her private parts and the fact that she could feel the man still in her. "All seems like a bad dream." The man tried to put his hand on her shoulder, to comfort her but raising her palms she stopped him. "Luke."

"Just tell me what I could do. I'll help you with everything I can."

"Stop this… stop trying to help…stop being all protective…Stop feeling guilty… you have a part in all of this but you are not going to find retribution by babysitting me. Thank you for what you did until now… I was in a dark place and I don't know what I would have done without you but I also realized something…" She didn't know how to get the words flowing and Luke's tired, sad features weren't helping one bit. "I am alone in all of this… and anyone else including you is just a… just a way to get me killed, a liability."

"What?"

"I am sorry Luke… I can't keep on with this charade we're fucking up here… I… We… I was right from the start… I should have listened to my guts." The man tried to open his mouth but he soon closed it as he realized there was nothing to say. "I am sorry… I really had fun… and I really… care… for you." He shifted on the bed turning his back slightly to face her. "You must realize… that this wasn't really… as I thought at the start, a one night stand up with no 'string attached' but still… this fairy tale we've… we've been living this past few days…en-ends now… with no happily ever after and no love and kisses… it just… ends… it's not your fault… neither is mine here… it's just…"

"I get it… Stop looking for ways to justify all of this."

"I am not looking for ways to justify myself… I just don't want all of this to hurt you… as it hurts..."

"Well it does." If he'd had waited a little more… Luke would have realized just how hard this choice was for Adeline… but fate didn't want that to happen.

They stayed there in silence for a while… maybe Adeline expected him to say something and Luke for her to just change her mind but none of these happened.

The waiting can kill you more than the outcome. You make a decision and then the world has its turn. The consequences unfold out of your hands. There's only one thing that seems clear in those quiet moments while you wait. You chose wrong.

"I... I…"

"Ok... I get it… something bad happened to you and you were expecting me to come to the rescue… WELL I COULDN'T!"

"Fuck YOU… From what I remember I was there running to save your ass."

"I didn't ask for your help, you should had left… I told you if you weren't sure you wanted to stick around you could have left… not fuck up everything and then choose to back away!"

"I didn't back away I am still here and I didn't fuck up ANYTHING! If you want to know, your Bill offered me a place in his community, he said that he likes my guts that I am what he needs and you know what I did? I SPAT IN HIS FACE AND TOLD HIM TO FUCK OFF AND STICK THAT OFFER WHERE THE SUN DOESN'T SHINE BECAUSE I AM A STUPID SHITHEAD LIKE THAT! If I wanted to leave you alone guys I would have… and I can't believe you'd think I am such a worthless bitch."

"Then what the fucks are you talking about… what's with all the better off alone and all that crap… I don't get it!"

"When shit happens like back there next time I won't run like a fucking nutcase after you and I will look out for my own ass."

"What the fuck? So this is it? Cause you believe this thing we have here is getting you killed you are just stopping it?"

"Kind of."

"Dammit Adeline!" He left angry at her, angry at Bill, angry at this whole situation and at life itself but there was no say for him in this… Luke already knew Adeline well enough to realize that she made up her mind.

"So what is the plan?" Taking a sit in the circle the group created, Luke was already introducing himself in to the discussion.

"The same that we spoke with Bonnie."

"What? No! We can't do that… not now." Holding tight to her bones Adeline slowly walked there as well. Nick was kind enough to offer his chair to her. He emanated the same energy as everyone else there pity… it made her sick.

"And why is that?" Rebecca was clearly on edge.

"Look, I know part of this is my fault… I – I know. I was hungry, I got reckless tryin' to steal some food and I got caught…"

"Mostly what you did wrong was not listening to me." And so Adeline earned once again one of Luke's 'the fuck?' glares… but she didn't care. Maybe this was some way of taking her mind off from everything… picking on Luke was harmless and fun most of the times. And in this moments in time the only thing that remained for her to do.

"Most of us are beat to shit, or pregnant, or… well" Now he looked pitifully at Adeline who for everyone seemed so small and frail. She hated the feeling… she is not so down… not so pitiable just yet"… You know… and besides that it's risky as hell."

"It is pretty damn risky, guys. " Nick finally spoke from behind her. She could feel the warmth of his body emanating, His hand on the edge of the chair.

"Risky? Did you see what that sonuvabitch just did? Look, the plan works. Nothing needs to change. It's all set up. The hard part is done. This guy is fucking crazy. Who knows what he'll do next."

"Yeah, but now we're dealing with a guy beat to shit, Sarita in no shape to do anything, and…"

"Don't you DARE look at me again, Luke. Or you'll get one fucking big slap over your fucking broken ribs… And the rest of you stop staring!" There was this awkward silence that Adeline's outburst created quite easily… still the pity that could be felt in there was tangible. Soon Luke managed to attract the attention.

"I am sorry… I guess… anyhow… both me and Adeline are just a goddamn mess. Look, we should rest up, okay? We should bide our time, and we should wait for an openin'!" God! his voice broke filled with so much exhaustion at the end that Adeline was actually feeling bad for just snapping at him but she is simply done with the pitying thing… she's been a bit rape and she might had cracked under the pressure but shit happens!

* * *

You can't prepare for a sudden impact. You can't brace yourself. It just hits you! Out of nowhere and suddenly with no warning!

"Hold on! She's the plan!"

So Clementine was the one to get them out of this situation… again. Adeline didn't move from her chair even though everyone left to see what Clementine was going to do. Luke observed that but he was still pissed so he didn't do anything but Nick wasn't going to let her alone, not now that she looked this fragile.

"Hey… are you ok?" He sat in one of the chairs next to her simply waiting for her answer.

"No… Of course I am not."

"Kind of dumb from my part to ask that question."

"Kind of." The girl's hands slipped through her hair to grab it in frustration. "I now understand you, Nick."

"Tsk-tsk… Now that I changed my mind?"

"You did?"

"Not much but… a little there." Her gaze left the ground to look at the man which took off his cap. "I hate that new haircut… here." After stuffing it painfully on to her head he looked proudly at what he got.

What are you doing Nick?" The thing was covering her eyes so she slowly raised it. Now she could see the man… his hair was a bit longer than Luke's and darker almost black and wavy… somehow it fitted him. He was a handsome man when he wanted to.

"What's ya looking at?"

"I never saw you without this thing… "

"So ya like it?"

"Yeah… as long as it hides my hideous hair. Thx Nick."

"No problem." His hand bumped the peak of her cap making her head ache even worst but she laughed followed soon by Nick's chuckling.

* * *

_It's scary, simply putting, just how quickly you realize that this world is meant to fall apart, how quickly everything can fall to crap!_

"You wanna run off with this dogshit group of crippled fucks, then fine! Be my guest! But I will put a bullet in you and that baby before I let you leave again with my child!"

_Sometimes it seems like everything just won't come together, like the pieces of the puzzle aren't meant to unite… I don't know if I am the only one feeling that way in this world… but finally as my heart actually mended itself the world crashed to bits._

"KILL HIM!"

"Rebecca, Rebecca sweetie, my god! How did we get here, you and me?"

"SHOOT HIM! Just shoot him!"

Luke was staring at Adeline begging her with his gaze for an answer but the only thing she could offer was even more uncertainty. There was rage in her eyes but it seems as if she doesn't want bloodshed… she doesn't want this man to die. In his madness he had an idea and he thought he was doing something right… He didn't deserve to survive… but he didn't deserve to die such a meaningless death. She shook her head for him to stop. Adeline didn't found up if he has listened to her as Kenny shot both of Carver's legs.

_I thought I changed… I thought I was stronger than before, that I can manage this fucked up life that I am living but now having once again a shoulder to cry on and someone to depend on it seems as if all of my weakness resurfaces… that is what I fear the most… I feel once again as if I am a nuisance… everything just happens so fast around me that I feel like I'll be left behind._

"That girl's already seen more than you can imagine."

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH BILL!" So Luke was still a bit pissed at the man. "You're all just gonna let him do this?"

"Luke." Deep inside Adeline still wanted the man dead so she made a quick attempt at shutting Luke up. He simply turned around angry, even outraged at the fact. "There ain't one part of that son of bitch I don't hate, but that does not make this right!"

"Nothing is right anymore Luke…" Her voice was lost but it was only meant for the man anyway. Finally he gave in.

"I don't want nothin' to do with this!" He made a few steps to get out but Carver won't leave silent.

"Look at you… you fucking ingrates. You don't even know how good you got it. "One by one the others left… Adeline pulling Luke by his arm. "That's all right. You'll learn! Lambs to the slaughter… no shepherd to guide you! Clementine knows exactly what I'm talking about." That is when Adeline's as everyone's heart sunk in. Luke turned around begging Clem not to listen to the guy.

"Come on."

"Fuckin' big man now, huh?"

"I'm staying." The girl said her voice silencing everything around her for a few seconds.

"Atta girl… she ain't afraid to look it in the eye. You go with that feelin' ya got right now, Clementine. It's what makes you stronger than the rest of them. Oh… and good job Luke… you finally found a whore worthy of you! "Luke stopped in his tracks to shake off Adeline's hand. She released him quickly remembering her talk with him… now she felt guilty but she knows it's best for the future.

_An hour… that is all it took to change everything. A fucking hour! Sixty minutes, thirty six hundred seconds… That's it! but what should I had expected anyway? How do you beat the odds when it's one against a billion? I tried to keep on pushing but I quickly got lost. They all screamed, they all moaned and growled nothing for me to just pint point… to just hold on to it and keep on moving until I heard Nick screaming._

„I am going after Sarah!" The two were running like hell. In his tracks Nick grabbed Adeline's hand.

"You don't know how worried you got us!"

"Sorry…"

_When I was little I used to play around with these two boys. They were older than me… and playing boy's games but I didn't care... So we used to have a lot of fun. That is what I had in mind at that whole fucking picture… that chaos was really close to a child's game… or how their imagination used to make it. When I knew I was close to losing I used to call out 'Uncle 'and the boys would stop. Too bad that can't happen here… best case scenario you just get eaten by one of the lurkers… ops… I should have said worst case shouldn't you? No… I was right... I said it right…_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 - Grief**

A/N SPOILER! Hugest spoiler ever… biggest in my life… Well when I said that thing about Game of Thrones about John Snow to my friend and he said he's going to commit suicide because of me was worst I guess… still SPOILER ALERT for episode 4 which made me hate TELLTALE from the bottom of my heart! :C ( *whisper* don't say I didn't warn you!)

* * *

_ I hate changes... I always did and I always will. They are unpredictable... that sounds funny and kind of pleonastic doesn't it? Still it doesn't make it wrong. Changes have this habit of simply sneaking up on you and creating this feeling of uncertainty. Things aren't what they used to be. The whole world has mutated into this monster and there is no turning back. Everything is different, unrecognizable, and there is nothing we can do about it. Changes are scary even terrifying for many of us but if you have the power to simply push on and survive you'll be able to turn a blind eye at this fact but some of us simply aren't made like that._

"SARAH STOP RUNNING! DAMMIT!"

"Don't you think she's enough noise, LUKE?"

"How can she run so fast?! I am beat."

The woods were empty some time ago until the girl rushed through them screaming at the top of her lungs, slowly drawing every creeper for miles… in merely minutes the group ended up with a trail of walkers behind them. Looking back the woman could see Luke screaming as well after Sarah and Nick which was falling back.

"NICK YOU ARE SHOT!"

"Wow… no shit, I didn't know… thank you for observing!"

"Here… "Slowly she took his arm around her shoulders to pull him after them a bit faster. His blood was forming a trail on the way which only meant that he was losing way too much of it. Soon Luke caught up with the girl. She panicked at the site of him and simply started moving frantically doing anything to escape him, as a last resort he twisted her hands on to her back and grabbed her running towards a mobile home. As soon as they reached the place the walkers were already on to it. Sarah punched Luke right in his side making the man escape a cry of pain as she ran for some room in the place. Nick and Adeline were simply pushing the door which the lurkers were so adamant into knocking down.

"LUKE! Need some help here, man!"

"Sorry… damn it must be worse than I thought." Gathering his bearings he started looking around for something to block the door but he found a key chain... so he started fumbling with them. Adeline, still pushing at the door could feel all her inside twist as she started feeling nauseous.

"Luke… FAStER PLEASE."

"Doing my best here." She could feel the room mixing in her mind as her head started to feel funny she soon pushed herself forwards puking the entire nothing in her. Lucky Luke had locked the door. Nick simply slid down the wooden surface in relief. Adeline was still on her knees in the corner gaging, finally being done she simply wiped her mouth with her sleeve.

"You ok?" Nick asked concern definitely in his tone.

"After the beating that I got and all the shit that followed… It would have been worrying if I wasn't throwing up. How are you? Cause I am not the shot one."

"I felt better."

"Let me look at it." But the walkers started banging at the door announcing them they are not quite safe yet. "Or maybe later."

"Later is good."

"SARAH WE HAVE TO GO COME ON! STOP THIS! DAMMIT!" Luke's struggling with the girl reached them. After a lot of attempts to get to Sarah they were all frustrated and frankly scared shitless of all the walkers now banging at their front door.

"Worst case we leave her here."

"What? NO! One of us should make a run for the others… with their help maybe we can get out."

"You and Luke are in no shape for that and we can't let Sarah alone…"

"I am fine… I can do this!"

"Nick… you lost more blood than God gave you for fuck sake stay put."

"We need help, Del… and you know it."

_Our lives are just the conglomeration of our choice… from the most insignificant ones like waking up in the morning, Yes or no, up or down, in and out… to the most important ones, the choices that matter. To love or to hate, to be a hero or to be a coward, to fight or give up… to live or die._

"Why is everybody calling me that? Fine… but I am coming too."

"No problem with me."

Looking around Adeline spotted a window that was free of walkers; she slowly opened it to make space for Nick. He climbed over but as she went to follow him, Luke grabbed her wrist.

"Take care of Nick…" She nodded as she took her legs over the edge of the window. Nick was quick to grab her waste and take her down. They started running when a couple of walkers at the door spotted them. Easily they managed to fend them off but soon another couple appeared in front of them, one of the corpses grabbing Adeline. The thing was really close to her shoulder as she managed to get out by breaking one of its hands… she was lucky as the walker was almost boney white, what kept him together only God knew. She quickly grabbed her knife and after some swings both of the creatures were dead… too bad her happiness was soon to end as she heard Nick's scream. He managed to take care of one of the 2 lurkers on him but the other one managed to take a bite from him. The man fell to his knees with the creature on his back. Adeline quickly grabbed the thing and as she pulled it away she could see in its teeth a part of Nick's neck, a thin piece of skin breaking revealing Nick's muscles and blood. She killed the lurker quickly and then grabbed the man as he was about to fall on to his face.

"NICK! NICK TALK TO ME!"

_Live or die, that's the important choice and it's not always in our hands._

"NICK!"

"As I said before… I had better days."

"DAMMIT NICK!"

_Live or die, hero or coward, fight or give in._

"Hey… hey, hey, hey." His trembling hand cradled her cheek. "Don't cry for me… "So much blood was flowing from the wound that she didn't really knew how does it that he's still able to speak. She shifted to hold him on her lap, his head between her palms.

"Let me look at it… maybe… just maybe I can do something." He chuckled, a deep vibration echoing from his chest.

"You know I am done for." In her crying outburst she pressed her forehead to his.

"No… no, no, no…This is just a bad dream."

"If you want I could pinch you… for all we know it might actually be true." His voice was already starting to falter. He started coughing which made her get some distance. With her free hand she started wiping her tears only to smudge her face with his blood. Looking down at him she was barely able to hold her tears, her lower lip was trembling uncontrollably, though. His deep blue eyes were already losing their color and their life but at least they weren't so sad anymore they were excruciatingly peaceful. His black curls of hair were sliding through her fingers slightly moving from the wind and his skin was so pale almost cadaveric white. "Now or never I suppose… I am a dead man anyway…"

"Huh?" His head pulled up as his lips touched hers. She froze. He was too cold the only thing still heating his skin were her tears.

_Live or die, love or hate, fight or give in._

As his tongue reached inside her she escaped another sob but that didn't stop him. She wasn't able to answer too much to his kiss as she was taken by surprise but it was enough for the man. Their broke apart as another coughing fit started. His face had a small smile on it as his eyes slowly closed.

"Harder to do it with a part of my neck gone."

"Nick?" He somehow managed to bump her cap before his head fell limp in her hands. "Nick?"

"Don't forget me Adeline."

_I'll say it again to make sure you hear me. Live or die, wait or step up, love or hate._

"Nick?" His chest rose for one last time. "NICK!" The tremble in his body stopped. "No…" His hand slowly fell from her cheek but she quickly grabbed it midair bring it back. She started silently sobbing in his palm. "I won't… I promise you I won't."

_The human life is made up of choices. Live or die, that's the important choice and it's not always in our hands or anyone's hands for that matter._

Soon His eyes opened again but as a growl escaped his lips he jumped at her. Still crying as hard as she could she fell on to her back desperately trying to push him away? After a hard kick and a bit of crawling she managed to escape Nick. He followed her, of course he followed her but somehow he got stuck in to a fence. Looking back at the man she fell on to her knees in front of him. Once again a someone died because of her. Once again she was blind and once again that person had to do something to break her even more. She liked Nick but if all of this zombie apocalypse thing wouldn't had happened Nick would had been the perfect example of one of her friendzoned… still her finger raised to her lips as she still remembered his touch… somehow she craved more. She remained there looking at Nick as he tried to free himself and get her… maybe if Clementine and Jane wouldn't had arrived he would had managed to rip his flesh off and reach her, tore her to pieces and feed upon her flesh but no… fate once again wouldn't allow such a free ticket to her. Clementine attempted in to killing him but Adeline's hand grabbed her wrist in the process, of course Jane intervened.

"We have to put him down."

"I know! But not like this…" She pulled out her knife and with shaky fingers she went closer to him. The man was still squirming but the fence wasn't allowing him too much movement so she slid her free hand through his hair. "I am sorry, truly I am." With that, her knife went through his mandible right in to his brain. He regained that peaceful look as she took her knife back. Slowly grabbing him she carefully laid him on the ground placing his palms one on top of the other on top his chest. Still in tears she closed his eyes and placed one last kiss on to his lips. "Goodbye." And so she regained her composer, her mask as cracked as always took the place of her face.

"Luke and Sarah are in one of the mobile homes… you can't miss them… mostly because Luke is a genius."

"OH GOD SARAH!"

"And he just made my point."

"They don't sound too good. The clock is ticking."

_We're born, we live and we die. Too bad this life just fucked up that chain. Now we put things to rest only to have them rise up again. So if death isn't the finish line, on what can you count on anymore?_

"Sarah, please… Who's out there?... Clem?...Oh… thank GOD!"

_Because you sure can't count on anything in life anymore in especially since life is on the verge of extinction… it is so fragile and unstable._

The group managed to escape with Sarah and leave the place. On the way out they passed Nick but besides a sad 'Fuck' Luke didn't do anything else. Adeline couldn't understand how she, a woman that knew him for less than a year, could manage so much more emotions than his own childhood friend but life is life and theirs especially had the power to do this on an individual… Clementine being another example of this fact. Still as she passed Nick's corpse she couldn't keep in one last tear.

_Now he was just another dead body on the road lost within the millions other like him left for someone else to loot or God knows what. I grabbed my cap… Nick's cap in an attempt to forget everything. But as we passed the other walkers that Jane and Clementine put down I slowly started to realize I won't be able to hide this hollowness in me. Now he is just another corpse, another history for some interested person to find out… so much history everywhere you look. The missing of a cap given to an important person, the license drivers kept as a reminder of better days, the trail of blood left by some poor soul still trying to cling to life, some bullets on the ground, broken glass and torn out buildings all of them almost screaming in my mind. A mother holding her child, a couple screaming their last confessions, some children screaming for their family! I can't go on anymore! I feel paralyze living in a world so cold, wasted and broken! I am tired for my soul to crack little by little as the days go by for my own demise… I can't do this anymore!_

_Grief can be found in a dictionary as: "a keen mental suffering or distress over affliction or loss; sharp sorrow; painful regret." Google it._

"Okay… Look, I hate to ask this, but… are we there yet?" Luke was at the end of his limits just as everyone else.

"We're not far."

Sarah was behind the group and she was getting even further so Adeline stopped to wait for her. She didn't care anymore but the girl was worse than her so she wanted to erase some of her regret.s

_If you were to read some psychology book you'll see that grief is quite a complex term, when we are dying or have suffered a catastrophic loss, we all move through five stages of grief. We go into denial because the loss is so unthinkable; we can't imagine it's true. We start begging God that all is just a nightmare._

"I can't believe you!"

"You said something, Del?"

"Don't fucking call me that again!" Both Jane and Luke turned their gaze towards the woman trying to push Sarah. "I can't believe you! Nick is dead!"

"I know… what is your point?"

"My point? Luke! What happened with you? Why the fuck don't you give any craps for Nick!? He died to help us… YOU!"

"What do you want me to do now?! Take his corpse in my hand and start begging GOD to bring him back… He's dead we move on!"

"You are so heartless… so… unbelievable… he was your friend. He never stopped talking about you... Luke here, Luke there always worrying always doing his best and you… can't even give ONE though for him!?"

"Mourning would just be a waste of time and you know it."

"DAMMIT LUKE! I can't do this anymore? Just surviving... just keep going not caring for the people we step over to achieve this so called 'moving on' as you said it!"

"Luke is right, Adeline…"

"SHUT UP CLEMENTINE! You are not far either… you all were after him… he was just a liability to you."

"What are you talking about Adeline?"

"You were keeping him around because you felt pity because you felt forced to do it… not because you cared for Nick." Hearing this Luke's eyes filled with rage he turned around and looking right in to Adeline's eyes he spat.

"Who are you to say that?"

"The last person to be by his side, the only one that actually cared and cried for him!" He clenched his teeth as he simply left her there going in front of the group. "You are just a pathetic survivor Luke! REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU GO TO SLEEP NEXT TIME! Remember that for you every fucking day that you'll live from now on!"

"You are talking?!"

_We become angry with everyone. We become angry with survivors, angry with ourselves. Then we bargain, we beg and we plead. We offer everything we have. We offer up our souls in exchange for just one more day. When the bargaining has failed and the anger is too hard to maintain, we fall into depression, despair. Until finally we have to accept that we have done everything we can. We let go. For me the other steps are yet to come… but I am sure that Nick's dead won't bring mine. He's just another part of my heart gone to heaven or hell… or maybe lost to haunt that stupid Park. Anyway I just hope he's happy where he ended up… that he's not in pain or suffering that he's at peace… unlike the bunch of us._

* * *

_A/N _Ok… this is a Nick chapter because I actually cried when this happened in the game. Nobody cared that poor Nick died so horribly. Why the fuck did I try so hard to keep him alive… just for him to die such a pathetic death FUCK! I cried and I am not proud of myself… he's just a game character… he's just a game… character dammit!... long story short now you know why I hate Telltale...


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 - Chaos**

A/N We just reached the end of episode 4… I couldn't write much in it as the characters tended to stick together and the time skips weren't many… Once again Spoiler Alert for ep. 4 if you hadn't played it.

I also wanted to ask you if it is a good idea, as we all are waiting for episode 5, for me to make another story that continues this one but with my own ideas of the group's future? Huh? Sounds good? When Ep. 5 comes out, which might be in September… I don't know… I will continue Vertigo as I was already planning to, anyhow.

Now you can read... so read... and enjoy... c:

* * *

_What I was feeling back there might be something that the whole group had in common. Kenny was holding Sarita so tight that the woman almost seamed suffocating, Jane had her sister's death still in her heart, Rebecca lost Alvin, Bonnie lost her family and little Sarah lost everything… so I should had realized I wasn't alone… even Luke had Nick to grief… I guess I was simply putting selfish._

"Ok… you are fucking right! Happy?! I changed and I don't like it either, I mean…. Fuck… I can't believe it… Soon as you guys said 'go', I was the first one up on the roof. Like I had already made up my mind… So I get it… I am fucked up but WHO ISN'T BY NOW!? All I did was leave him behind but I couldn't do anything else!"

_Everybody's grief is different, though. Some of us would break, some of us would start hating everyone, some of us would look for a scapegoat and some of us could simply fight that war inside their own soul. Grief doesn't come easy… it is made out of loss and change and even life… it sucks and it hurts like nothing else._

"Luke, you can't let it eat away at you." Jane was much more understanding than Adeline could ever be in this position so Luke quickly got close to the woman.

"Well, I can't forget it."

_The only way we can still go on after we've been hurt like this is by hoping… hoping that this pain will finally subside… that someday it won't feel this way anymore._

They soon reached the meeting point where the others were waiting. Everybody was happy for who got there and crying for who didn't… still everything happened once again so fast for Adeline… some talking there some screams elsewhere and in the end Rebecca's water broke if you can believe it!

"Ok. Mike go with Bonnie at the Museum."

"I'll check the building by the river."

"Okay, Jane. Kenny, you… uh… you stick with Rebecca. And I will check the perimeter for walkers with Adeline." Clementine ran after Jane.

They both grabbed their weapons and left. Adeline looking down at her feet she could see a few rocks, debris, glass, blood… quite ironically for the place where they were… but still as she raised her gaze not much changed, destroyed buildings and death people everywhere… that fucked up monument was the only thing on her mind right now… 'Fallen, but not forsaken" Well they are fallen and forsaken… but not what? Luke was still kind of mad at her. He was keeping his gaze fixed in front of his eyes, his lips curled in to a straight line and his eyes betraying what he felt. After some time they chose to split up… In that way they will manage to cover more ground and Luke can go and check on Clementine and Jane.

Adeline looked around for a while until boredom got the better of her so she started searching some bodies… maybe one of them would have something. Most of them didn't have much… she found a working lighter, a pack of cards… maybe they will be useful and a rusted cutter… not much… but one of them was interesting. It was a boy no more than 16 but his position was peculiar. He was simply standing leaned by a tree with his legs straight and a notebook in one of his hands… on the ground a pencil. Taking the notebook she found several scribbles of the place and a few persons. "How did you die?"

She grabbed his backpack and searching it for a bit she found more doodles and drawing utensils and an empty notebook… with a smile on her face she took his backpack, hers remained at Carver's together with her bow… dammit. As she wanted to leave she looked at his other hand… there was a straight cut at the wrist. Now she knows how he died. Sitting next to his corpse it still was a mystery why he was truly dead but his head was bald… maybe cancer? Could be a possibility because besides the wrist he was untouched. Taking out the notebook she started scratching it... it felt nice and normal to simply sit down and start drawing. A line here some erasing there and it started to gain a contour with a little sigh she raised her gaze to the horizon there were some birds were flying. It was weird because those birds should had long since left these parts of the country… maybe those aren't meant to migrate… hmm. Animals… as the world goes to shit they are still here. They aren't dumb as humans, they don't eat each other… they don t grow attached to one another… Another draw… she was making just quick sketches nothing too special… if she was to die like this boy here drawing she couldn't be mad. At least he left one nice suicidal note she thought as she went through his sketches.

As she was adding the last details on her draw a moan stopped her. Raising her gaze she could see the horde from before making its way towards her and the group. Running as hard as she could she soon found Kenny which of course wasn't happy that she came this late to warn them?

"Ok... Mike take the water I'll take care of Sarah." The girl was already panicking so when Adeline reached her she had to take her bridal style. All of them went after Clementine to reach the place Jane found. Adeline let the girl down to stay with Clementine and ran up to see if the safety of the place is really that true. Well the fun thing is what she found wasn't what she expected.

"Well that's about as human as I've felt in a long time…"

"Ohh… So I was that bad? Tsk, tsk… Sorry Luke, I really feel bad now."

"Del? Adeline… Jesus, Del. It's not…. Um. We were just…"

"I don't care what you and your little fuck buddy are doing… we've got other problems." And Rebecca screaming just proved the truth in the woman's words.

"Fuck buddies?...Wait… what's goin' on?" Soon the others came rushing in with Kenny angry shitless.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Well you got one word right." Explained Adeline as she was taking a gun from Mike.

"Kenny! What's goin'on?"

"We've got GOD-knows-how-many walkers out there which YOU were supposed to be keeping an eye out for."

"What about…" He looked at Adeline which gave him the kind of stare that meant something like 'don't you dare!'…"Hey, hold on a second… Just tell me what's goin' on!"

"What's going on is you're a reckless fucking moron!"

"I'M reckless?! You know, you got a lotta nerve, Kenny!"

"Ok… it might have been my fault as well so let's not point fingers here." Adeline made an attempt at calming the two only to get Kenny on to her now as well. Good luck with Clementine which interrupted him.

"Rebecca's having the baby!"

And so the chaos started again as the walkers made their way up the stairs. Quickly Mike managed to close the gate and as the others attempted to barricade it they succeeded in making half of the deck collapse together with Sarah, Jane and Adeline. What was the most hurtful for the woman was the fact that the one Luke caught was Jane. Down between the debris it took a while for Adeline to get her consciousness back. Her vision was blurry as she hit her head hard but soon Sarah's screams and the walkers making their way towards them woke her up. She shot a few of the things that were getting closer to her but remaining with no bullets left she had to resort to her dagger. She jumped at Sarah to get her out but the poor girl was stuck under the deck.

"ADELINE! LEAVE HER THERE!" Screamed Jane followed by Luke which simply extended his hand towards the woman.

"There is no chance for her." She wasn't about to give in... Nobody was going to die today so she kept trying until a lurker grabbed her shoulder. She stabbed him right in the head but this woke her up… there was no chance for Sarah.

"I am sorry." She then stabbed the poor girl right between her tearful terrified eyes. "I am really SORRY!" Running up the side of the collapsed deck with Luke's help she managed to reach the others once again.

Quickly Clementine got the rest of the deck down and they were finally safe. Breathing hard the woman crashed on the wooden floor. Her legs were dangling at the edge as the only thing she could see in front of her eyes was the sun and a few birds flying in the distance. The others were preoccupied with Rebecca and the baby she just gave birth to… seems to be a boy.

Her tears rolled once again on her check… as she remembered Sarah's bloodshot eyes, widen in shock petrifying her on the spot. "Dammit!"

Déjà vu! She already lived all of this crap! She already knows how it is to lose everybody one by one… she always felt the pain something like this can bring you! And she would be able to get past it once again but this time there are other people, other stories crashed, and other souls despairing. Before she could break again she grabbed her backpack and started sketching. She had the picture right in front of her eyes so she simply drew.

Everybody went inside and she was happy to be left alone as she simply sketched… until the sun went down she simply scribbled that notebook until she thought she was about to break it. All the others went to sleep one by one leaving only Kenny awake, he was silent for a change. Then Luke came in to the picture which sat next to her.

"Is that Nick?"

"If you have to ask… I should feel bed."

"No… no… it's really good… It looks like him." He grabbed her backpack to find the notebook in there.

"Everybody's here…"He almost whispered as he went through the draws. 'Carlos… Sarah… even Pete. Is this Carver?"

"It's like an illustrated diary ok?"

"Still… Carver?"

"He has a perky face. Nic ebone structure..."

"PERKY!?" He started laughing quite uncontrollable, so hard that it even made Adeline laugh. "Perky face? Really?!" As he went through the sketches he found a one with himself… smiling. Adeline quickly grabbed it. His eye brows shot to the sky at her sudden insecurity. Shrugging he left to get some sleep. Realizing how late it must be and how much worst the next days will be Adeline realized just how much rest she needs as well. Getting up from her spot on the broken deck she almost fell off of it. Her hand came to her waste, her face contorted in pain. She almost escaped a scream of pain. Knowing the next one she won't be able to hide she opened the gate next to their little spot and ran down the stairs almost falling at the last step. Slowly sitting on the floor she was free to look at what happened. Raising her shirt she could see on her side a huge area of a deeply dark purple color. "Shit!" She knew what that meant and if it was as serious as she was afraid it is she was a goner…

"That looks painful." Jane was there for some reason.

"Don't worry for me."

"Hey… I am not your enemy…"The woman offered Adeline a small bottle of pills.

"Vicodin? I'm no Doctor House."

"Doctor House or not they will help with that."

"Thx I guess…"

Jane waved her goodbye and went on her way. After a few minutes in which the pills were making their effect Adeline managed to get up and go back up only to meet up with Luke and Kenny screaming at each other. She brushed them off as the only thing she needed right now was sleep.

* * *

"Adeline… Wake up!"

"What is it Luke?"

"We have to go look for some food…"

"Take Bonnie."

"She already left with Mike… Del... Wake up!"

"Fine… fucking fine!"

The sun was barely visible but the woman was on her way with Luke to look for food. They went back to the small moving houses Park where of course they found Nick again, but nothing special happened; they simply went past him as if he was just some other corpse… which he actually was. Looking around they found one of the houses with a solar to still have some energy so looking in it they also found some frozen food in the freezer… too bad it still was bad. Looking around they were lucky to find some clothes… including a really nice leather coat which Adeline, being in only her tank top, took.

"Ok… we should move on… there is nothing here."

"Ok…"

The other places didn't have much either until Luke found several packs of those instant soups. The kind in which you add some boiled water and they are done.

"Well… they expired a year ago." Adeline took one of those to look at it.

"Looks like it but take a look at the ingredient… what could expire in this thing is too little for us to care…"

"I guess you're right." They packed it and went on their way to the next place. The other houses were kind of empty so they choose to turn back.

"At least we got the soup… it should make a decent meal."

"If they are good."

"Right now I would eat that rotten chicken chest we found… so these should be better."

"True."

When they reached the others the tension between the group was still there. Kenny was angry that we chose to stay for a few days. They soon started a fire and started preparing the food. Good Adeline took a pot and some bowls… she forgot to take some spoons but fingers could always do the trick. Rebecca was looking worse as the days passed so soon Kenny took everybody to reach one of the cities nearby…

It has been snowing since they got to the Observation Deck but now the temperature was really low, the wind was hard and cold like a claw up anyone's spine and on the ground there was a thin blanked of snow formed… Maybe they should had left when Kenny wanted… but what's in the past stays in the past.

As they were walking Adeline could feel the cold penetrating her flesh to the bones… there was one good thing about this fact… she felt numb. Still pulling at her 'new' coat she observed how hard she was shivering. She started rubbing her hands and arms to reveal some of that pain in her fingers but in vain, yet she didn't give up as a small white smoke came out of her mouth on to her palms. After a few attempts she started looking around… everything gained this touch of white… Her feet were cold and wet… sneakers weren't the best choice out in the snow… the proof being her tingling, burning toes. The only thing showing her that they were getting closer was the soft crunches of the snow and the squelch of her wet socks and boots as she walked after the others. Her voice occasionally let out a small 'shh' trembled as a shock on her spine shot her. Her teeth clattered and her eyes started to get moist as another blast of that merciless wind overcame her exhausted body.

Looking at the others they weren't doing that good either… Everybody was exhausted and cold and… so many other things. Adeline looked in specially at Rebecca which wasn't doing well whatsoever… she was at the point of breaking… the others are trying to help her but there isn't really anything to do more…

"You ok?" The woman was taken a bit by surprise when Luke asked her that. Since they left he had this scowl on his face and slowly as they went on his back hunched and his fingers clawed by the rifle in his hands… maybe they froze on it or something?

"I am cold."

"Yeah… You have the thinnest clothes… good we found that coat…" He looked down at her bare legs. "We'll need to find you some jeans or something… fucking Bill to give you these shorts."

"Hey… I am ok… I don't feel my legs anymore so I am good."" She tried to laugh but it turned out more in to a hoarse cough…" I am good… don't worry for me…"taking a look at Rebecca she continued. "Others are worse…"

"I hear you." As he said this the woman, exhausted, fell, slipping on an icy surface. Her muscles, weakened by the blood loss and the bitter cold, gave way under her, leaving Rebecca hopeless in the snow. Mike helped her on a tire nearby, and there is where she stayed, too tired and worn out to move.

"She's exhausted. We all are." Now Luke as ready to have another quarrel with Kenny. "We shoulda stayed put. We shoulda stayed put until she was in a better shape."

"We stayed for far too long anyway… she wasn't gonna get no better back there. We gotta find food, get her someplace warm."

"This look like someplace warm to you?"

"Hey! I said we shoulda left right away, instead of waitin' around. We could have been in that city days ago! "

"WE did the right thing. She was in no condition to move… we shoulda stayed at least a couple days more!"

"She's worse now! What are you talkin' about?"

They continued their useless quarrel until Bonnie warned everybody about a kid in the distance. Soon a boy turned in to a dozen of armed men and what is worse… that dozen turned in to a chaos and when Kenny shot Rebecca it truly unleashed…

* * *

**A/N** In the end as we make this pause I wanted to Thank all the people that favorite, followed and reviewed my story… so… ehh… Thank you… I guess… I am an awkward penguin and I can't believe you liked my story so I really appreciated your kind words… And I also thank the persons that read and enjoyed the story but didn't have time to do any of those three above… I am like you guys… I am a lazy fuck and I don't often show my appreciation to the writers :D but I really love some of the fanfictions here and I hope I am seen in the same way by you. :))


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 - All alone now**

**A/N** Well I am back… a bit late and I am sorry… but I didn't have the time and I was actually out of my city in vacation and I didn't know the fifth episode came out. NOW YOU KNOW WHY I HATE TELLTALE! Anyhow… I hated that episode for the simple fact that Luke died and so I wasn't in the mood to write it in details… NO DAMN NO… and I also kind of changed the action but it isn't really AU to say so… I don't know… You can judge if you want. A bit spoily for episode 5 of Walking Dead but I guess I just spoiled a lot for the Luke thingy I just said… sorry. Anyhow it will start to make sense why Adeline started to get a bit more friendly in this chapter as I am going to repeatedly remind parts that I skipped from episode 5 in the future chapters…

I will let you read now…

"God… God, God, God! It's so damn cold!" Her hands wouldn't listen to her anymore…"DAMMIT DAMMIT! FUCK, FUCK, FUCK! SHUT UP ADELINE!" Her teeth wouldn't stop moving and she simply didn't know what to do.

_There is no one now that doesn't understand the faces of death. They also understand that surviving depends on the cards that we have been dealt with. Some of us face a bloody battle till our own demise, but some of us simply face oblivion… that is what I was thinking as I was pulling Luke out of those freezing cold water. That was what I was thinking as I looked at his calm pale face… that look only made me imagine how peaceful would it be if I simply remained there stuck in his arms until the next summer, simply drowning or freezing to death… what would it be like simply floating in a damned frozen lake forever? But no! SURRENDER IS UNACCEPTABLE!_

Staring at the bunch of walkers she couldn't think of her own libs not answering to her commands. She tried to scream after the others but her voice wouldn't come to live so she simply watched the group running away from them. Looking down Luke wasn't breathing… so she had to work fast. Managing to unclench her fingers from her arm she started pushing at his chest.

"Like in those first aid courses Adeline… like you learned there…" Though in those courses there were no immediate walkers coming towards you.

She started pushing at his chest… and after counting to three she pushed her lips to him, forcing the air in her lungs to invade his… she did that again and again and again…

"Come on Luke! I can't wait for your dumb ass to move… fucking BREATH!"

1…2…3 and breath

"Please don't do this to me!"

Her tears started rolling on her frozen cheeks, painfully pinching her face. Yet it didn't hurt… or it was a funny kind of hurt. In the end she pulled her gun out and started shooting the walkers. They fell one after another until her pistol sounded empty. One last attempt at Luke and she was gone. But this time he took a deep breath of air and started coughing.

"What is happ-happening? " His eyes were open wide surveying the place until they fell on to the woman relieved to see him conscious and alive.

"Dammit Luke… let's go…you lazy ass." Her hand grabbed his but as she went up she slipped on to the ice tumbling down on to her knees. Squinting at the pain she managed to pull the man after her and they ran in to the woods. The way towards the small cabin was too long and it look like the ice was thin and cracked from the others stomping on it. Running between the trees aimlessly Adeline could feel as if her whole body was being stabbed by thousands of small needles. Her legs would only move because of her sheer will, even Luke at some point was barely limping his way after her… but they needed to reach a safe place.

"Adeline! Where are the others?"

"I… I don't know… maybe at the cabin… where that little Russian kid… pointed to."

"Where are we going then? Let's go back."

"If you want a date with the walkers… go back."

"At least stop… I can't feel… I can't feel anything."

With a late reaction her legs stopped and she simply fell on to her knees, her hands wrapping around her waist.

"We need to start a fire!"

"I think… I have some mat-matches… in the back-backpa..." She didn't need to continue as Luke grabbed her backpack and threw it contents on to the snow underneath them. All of the draws were destroyed by the water, all the paper crumbled, the lines drawn erased. In the end a box of matches landed between the wet papers.

"It is soaked."

"Fuck! Of course it is…" Now the painful feeling on the surface of her skin faded and turned into a foreboding kind of numbness. "Luke… I have… I have." She was fumbling with the smaller pockets of the bag and after a couple of seconds she retrieved a lighter.

The man grabbed some of the more dried branches and placed them in a barrel nearby. The ground was too wet. Also fumbling with some of the dried pieces of paper he threw a small crumbled ball in Adeline's lap. All of her extremities felt swollen and stiff so she clumsily attempted to light the crumble. With each attempt from which the lighter didn't light she could feel her fingers more numb and useless. In the end she closed her eyes as the light from the small fire started warming her. The small flame lit the papers and those fell in to the small mess of branches Luke managed to gather.

"Thanks God."

The man was staring at the flames dancing as she wrapped her arms to get warmer. Even if with that small flame barely staying lit a wave of relief washed over Adeline but she couldn't say the same thing about Luke. She bumped his shoulder lightly with her own making her way in to his arms. He looked sadly into her eyes quickly looking back to the flames.

"Hey… what's wrong?"

"Besides the fact that we almost froze to death?"

"Yup… besides that…" Their bodies were still trembling hard but her skin started to feel better and she could see some of the blood coloring the man's skin.

"How could the others just leave us to die there? "Adeline's body trebled unnatural as a shock split her spine. Luke slowly slid a hand up her back to guide her down on to a patch of dirt under a tree. He leaned on the bark with Adeline leaning on to his chest.

"I… I don't know Luke… maybe they thought we were death."

"Fuck… we might just be… We... should… we should look for them."

"I barely can breathe Luke… I am not moving any time soon."

"Neither am I… try not-not to fall asleep."

"Easier said than done…"

"Hey… like back when we were after Carver… let's just talk to one another… "

"I remember where that led to."

"Would it be that bad if it happened again?"

"You are such an ass… Jane… Bonnie… A regular Casanova like Mike said."

"Hey…"

"I don't need your excuses… ok? It's just the two of us left… and it's still your birthday so I would like to avoid the drama… rain check?"

"Good for me."

Looking down at her bare feet which she tucked them as hard as she could under or around Luke she could see her knees slightly bleeding and small patches of bruises and yellowish spots appearing the length of her legs… so these are the frostbites? She could have lived without them.

The man's warm hands were slowly caressing her back sliding their way on her waist. Trying to look up the woman saw that Luke fell asleep. Pressing her index finger to his neck she could feel his slow yet rhythmic pulse… With a content smile on her face she tucked herself in his arms and shortly fell asleep as well.

Normally they would be much more attentive not to be so vulnerable in the position they were in but walking for days and almost drowning in a frozen lake could suck all the energy out of a person.

_"__Adeline! ADELINE!"_

_Opening her eyes the woman couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Bonnie! How did you find us? "_

_"__What are you talking about?! You need to help him?"_

_"__Help who?" _

_What was happening? Adeline couldn't answer this question until she heard the cracking of ice. Turning her gaze she could see Luke staring at her screaming for her not to come any closer. "ADELINE GO! Go help him!" This wasn't right… this wasn't her… this was Clementine! She was already at safety… next to Kenny running her way to them. _

_Her feet half frozen ran the course of the lake even leaving two or three holes behind as she cracked the ice. Her teeth were clenched as she saw the man fall, half of his body in to the water yet she was still too far to do anything._

_"__NO! Clem NO!"_

_"__Clem just go! You're light. You can do it!"_

_"__STOP tellin' het that! Clem! LOOK at me!"_

_Adeline didn't catch the rest as she slipped and fell on to her knees. Her blood started tainting the white ice but pulling herself together she raised her gaze only to see Clementine falling in to the water and no Luke to be seen. Getting up she ran next to Bonnie._

_"__Adeline!?" With her unable to clench her fingers the woman only managed to slap Bonnie across her face. The red-haired turned her gaze in complete and utter shock. "What?" _

_"__WHY AREN'T YOU DOING SOMETHING?" And with that the woman made a quick swan dive in to the freezing waters._

Adeline felt her entire body freeze in an instance. Opening her eyes she was still in Luke's arm. Unclenching herself from him she raised her body up rubbing her nose to dissipate the image in her mind… Luke's eyes looking through her as death clawed at him was just too reminiscent to Tom's eyes when she was looking at his lurker self. Now she realized she was breathing hard and after holding her breath she managed to calm her wrecked mind.

Trying to stand up she realized her feet were numb. With her hand by her thighs she managed to make the blood flow through them. After a while both of her knees screamed in protest and she saw that when she slipped on to the ice she managed to scrape them, pretty badly. Crawling her way towards the content of her backpack she managed to find the bandages and the bottle of iodine. The white fabric was pretty wet but keeping it close to the fire it dried pretty quickly. After patching her knees she raised from the ground. For a few seconds she felt like a broken doll, making a few steps her limbs felt as if it weren't hers but after the blood managed to flow through them she was pretty good. By that time Luke woke up as well.

"Well… In the end we have some luck… "

"What do you mean?"

"There were really big chances for us to be eaten in our sleep…"

"Point taken… we are lucky… I guess… I am still freezing but I guess it could be worse. "

"You ok?"

The image of his empty eyes came back in her mind and after a mental slap she nodded. "As ok as I can be."

"We should go and look for the others…"

"Yup… "Grabbing some of the stuff that could be salvaged and throwing them in the backpack Adeline nodded in the direction they should take.

After half an hour or so they managed to reach the house where they both hoped the others were. At the entrance they could see small signs of struggle… some blood in the snow, car tracks… footsteps leaving the place.

"Luke… it seems empty… "

"Let's look inside… maybe… I don't know…JANE! CLEMENTINE! ANYONE!"

"If you continue screaming you'll have a whole bunch of walkers… stop it."

"This is… just… They wouldn't just leave… would they?"

"Looks like they did. "

Crouching next to the small blood spotted snow Adeline could make up the little girl's shape in the white surface of the ground. Also judging from the hurried steps around the car marks…

"They either split or somebody found them."

"Why would they split up?"

"It looks here like Clementine got shot or stabbed..."

"What? By who?"

"Well I don't know… ask the spot in the snow… it didn't want to tell me who did it…"

"Ok… ok I get it… Why would they split up?"

"Judging by those footsteps… the Russian boy and two other people left on foot… Maybe the boy had backup?"

"Let's look inside… maybe we'll find something there."

In the house a wave of heat hit them both as the fire was still flickering in the fireplace. The group left in a hurry.

"I will go at the top level you search through here." Adeline nodded as the man made his way up. Searching around she could see small splatters of blood… somebody was beaten down and from the rope around the stairs tied too… Arvo could be a safe bet… that would only mean there were no Russian buddies… or maybe they came later? There would at least be a bit of more struggles around if they came… not just Clementine wounded in the snow… Before Luke could come back she found a small can of chilly on the ground in the corner of the room.

"There is no one up stairs either…"

"Did you find anything at least…?"

"No… it was picked clean… I found this pair of jeans… they are for man…but… "

"Don't worry… I don't really care about fashion at this moment. Adeline grabbed the pants giving Luke the can. "Maybe you could prepare it while I get dressed?"

"Yeah… no problem. "

Hearing her unzip, Luke couldn't stop a small peak and he was thoroughly rewarded for it as he saw her well build thighs and her round behind beautifully shaped by her black boxers. When he raised his gaze he could see a bit of her stomach under the raised shirt. Leaving the can next to the fire he went closer and raising the thin fabric up he saw the huge bruise on her abdomen. She quickly covered it up.

"That is not an ordinary bruise."

"It's nothing…"

"Did you hurt yourself just now?" He was battling her hands as he tried to take another look. Shortly he stranded her by the wall and managed to raise her hands above her head with and inspect the purplish patch on her stomach. She squinted as he pressed his fingers on to her flesh.

"I am no doctor… but this is not a bruise…"

"I am ok…just let me go." She was pulling at her hands as her feet tangled themselves in the jeans she was trying to put on before. Her thighs were moving to get her feet free slowly brushing by Luke making him realize just how he stranded her. Getting all red he let go. The woman quickly got her jeans up.

"You are not ok… "

"I have been having this since we left from Carver…"

"If that is true it is even worse… people die from internal hemorrhage, Del."

"People die from everything Luke."

"Why didn't you tell me…?"

"And what could you have done?" With that she shut him up. Pulling at the edges of the pants she realized those were too big… so going to her backpack and grabbing a thin piece of an elastic band she made a small bum behind to keep the jeans from falling off her waist. "Let's eat Luke… "

"We should… go search the woods maybe we can find the others…"

"They are gone… and you know it… we are on our own."


	13. Chapter 13

_**Chapter 13 - Memories**_

_"What's this place?"_

_"What? Never been to a theme park?"_

_"Yeah… of course I was but... what's the point?"_

_"Usually the point is to have fun… duh."_

_"You know what I mean…"_

_"Yeah… I know… but this is just for fun… today we are just having fun."_

_"We don't have the time…"_

_"There is always time… and if you really need an excuse. I actually brought you here for target practice at the shooting game."_

_"Tom…"_

_"Come one."_

_"TOM! NO!"_

_And Adeline only saw the world turn around as he took her over his shoulder and entered through the bright lit and colored gates. The place seemed pretty much deserted, even one of the bear doodle on one of the games fell as Tom let the girl down._

_"Let's try the horse ride."_

_"You are like what 26?"_

_"Actually 25… UNICORN LAND!" And he dashed after one of the dusty rides._

_"It doesn't have energy?"_

_"FUN! REMMEBER! STOP OVERTHINKING!"_

_Adeline shook her head but yet she couldn't stop the huge smile that slowly grew on her face. Running towards Tom she saw him fumbling with the controls of the thing. The ride lit up only to make a screeching sound and stop._

_"See… no power."_

_"Shh… don't question me." Once again grabbing her by her waste Tom took the girl to one of the horses. After giving her a reassuring kiss on her cheek he went to one of the poles and started pulling it making the ride spin. After some time it even started, the annoying song as well._

_"See it just needs a little trust." Adeline started laughing as she pulled the man next to her on to the horse. Twisting in the small saddle she stranded his waste cradling his face in her hands. His lips quickly came to hers and the world came to a still... literally because the ride stopped. She couldn't stop the smile forming even if the kiss didn't stop. Their lips nibbled at one another until she parted for his tongue to invade her mouth. A sigh escaped her lips and a moan escaped his as his hands clawed at her shoulders._

_"Tom it hurts." But he didn't listen until the moment when his lips came to her neck. Her fingers came through his hair making his hoodie fall behind. She moaned as his teeth scraped the bare skin on her neck and she surely never imagined him being so brutal until the moment when her eyes fell on to her hands. "You're bleeding." Adeline snapped as if bitten and thin pieces of skin with long strands of putrid hair stuck to her fingers._

_"TOM!" And that is when a shooting pain erupted from her neck and her eyes saw the man and her own skin between its teeth. The skin on his face partially decomposed. His eyes white and empty and as he chewed a huge maggot came out one of the huge gashes in his cheeks. "What the fuck?" The little creature climbed on to her hand and as she released herself from the man she fell from the horse on to the ground painfully feeling all the air in her lungs coming out at the impact. Tom was quick to follow and as his hands dug their way in her abdomen she saw his mouth open unnaturally wide and creating a shriek she never heard in a human being before._

Her eyes opened wide to find herself in the same room from that unfinished house. Just a dream of days long since forgotten.

"You finally woke up."

"Luke? Why did you let me fall asleep, we don't have the time…?"

"I thought you needed to rest. I was out anyway looking for the others."

"Any luck?"

"The car tracks went far on the main road and the footsteps… well a storm started and those are surely completely gone."

"A storm?"

"We should stay in here for today… I barely found my way back… "

"Ok…"

"Hey… are you alright?"

"Heh… just… just a bad dream. Don't worry."

"Ok… Now that you are awake we should make a plan."

"You don't think we'll find the others… do you?"

"Slim chances." He sat next to her on the bench warming his hands at the little fire. "There is one sure place where Kenny and… or Clementine would go."

"Wellington?"

"Yeah… but without a map we are fucked." The snow on his clothes started to melt for a bit as he thoughtful stared at his hands. "Maybe we could go to that city we saw before meeting with Arvo… with some luck there will be something to scavenge."

"Maybe… but that is a few hours behind…"

"I know…"

"How is your leg by the way…?"

"Those pills you gave me and the numbness created from the cold are quite a good anesthetic… besides a limp I am good."

"I am glad."

"What about your shoulder?"

"My… shoulder?" And as the burn in it began once again she remembered getting shot when they first met with that group of Russian…" Now that you mentioned… I am ok… but it sucks." She rolled her arm pulling at the sleeve to inspect the wound. It was just a graze of her skin but it was still a gunshot so it wasn't really nice. "Just a flesh wound."

Luke opened his mouth to say something but pretty soon his lips closed as his eyes fell on to his hands once again. After a few minutes in which Adeline sat next to him on the couch with a blanket tightly held between her fingers and him simply enjoying the warmth of the fire place, letting his thoughts free reign on to his mind he realized they are the only survivors. He missed the others… but the stupid thing is that the only part he can remember about them was how they died. Luke tried to shake his head and make the memories dissipate but he hadn't succeeded. There was still Pete disemboweled on the ground, a lurker still taking bits and pieces from what remained out of him and there was Adeline offering him her comfort, her warm hand on to his trebling one, helping him to put down the man, there were Rebecca and Alvin both of them left behind, Carlos that died so suddenly, Sarah as well, and at the little girl Luke couldn't but feel responsible, the only one that tried to help her was this stranger in their little group, this woman that shouldn't had cared one bit if the girl survived yet she was the one to try, Adeline was the one to care… and Nick. Nick… He's been there with him for like forever but the one to stay by his side in his final moments was Adeline, the one to cry for him, the one to share his final thoughts and desires… was her.

"How are we still alive?" He asked with his family's and friend's corpses in his mind.

"I don't know… "Luke's hand came through his slightly damped hair as his back hunched.

He knew why HE was still alive. Adeline was the only pillar still keeping him running in this world… He remembered all the moments when she had his back, even with those stupid fights of theirs she was there for him. When Pete died, on the bridge, when Carver arrived, she helped him get to Howe's Hardware, to survive those nights, to infiltrate the place and then she saved his ass from Troy an Carver himself… afterwards when she brought help for him and Sarah, when she pulled him from a straight bullet that hit her, God he simply froze when he saw her simply falling back landing in to the snow, a puddle of blood forming around her. Luke had to close his eyes to erase that image from his mind… another fucked up thing… her almost death is killing him more than all of the death images of the others… And now he remembered when she was the only one jumping to save him, her frail body piercing the freezing cold water, her head frantically looking around, the moment she spotted him and how her body swayed with the water. "It just gets better and better huh?"

"That's life for you."

"No truer words were spoken." They both laughed a bit awkwardly getting each others attention. "How did we get here… just the two of us?"

"Nick… shooting me in the leg? Quite ironically that you got shot in the leg as well…"

"Nick…"

Adeline's eyes opened wide and she stared looking around desperately until a cruel realization hit her. "Nick's cap… dammit."

"I think you lost it in the lake…"

"Looks like it. Dammit… I am losing everything today…"

"What do you mean?"

"Tom's photo… "

"It was in the backpack, wasn't it?"

"I think you crumbled it with the rest of the paper that I set on fire."

"Shit… I am sorry."

"Well… Kind of a sign that I should stop dueling on the past…I guess." The man shrugged as he laid a warm but heavy arm on her shoulder.

"Not trying to sound cheesy but you can keep them in your mind… keep them alive with you." Adeline nodded as she escaped a deep and desperate sigh. Her head fell on to his chest as she was too tired to hold it up anymore. His hand came up to caress her unkempt mane as he was trying to find something to say.

"We've been through so much Luke… "

"I know."

Her palms pressed his chest as she pushed herself up to look in to his eyes. "It's just the two of us now."

He nodded staring at the raw sadness in her eyes. "Maybe you should have taken my offer and just leave."

"What are you talking about Luke? You, this group did so much for me… if I were to choose again what to do I wouldn't change a thing…" The man smiled even if in his mind he was searching for what they did for her… besides the pain, the betrayals and the cheating. "You became my family…" The tip of her fingers came to his chin as she was obviously staring at his lips, obviously lost in her thoughts and memories just like him.

And in a blink of an eye their lips met in a searing kiss.

It looked as if every time they were alone and lost, freezing, hungry and in pain their feelings for each other would intensify and fill that emptiness bringing them closer. This time they both felt that they only had one another for a long time if not forever and since Adeline saved his life once again Luke couldn't but try to thank her for a change.

This time her hands came under the hem of his shirt and his whole body tensed as her cool fingers touched his abdomen. He almost flinched away but as she took off the bloodied blouse his skin eased under her touch. Adeline's hands traveled all over his chest, he squinted when she pushed at his fractured rib but their kiss continued even so. Her own shirt was gone soon enough and this time they parted as Luke wanted to look at her. Carefully caressing her abdomen his lips barely whispered.

"I am sorry." She smiled sadly as her hand came up to his face to move a few strands of hair that stuck to his skin.

**A/N Should I, shouldn't I? Hmm… if you don't like it SKIP IT!**

The whole moment when her skin brushed his forehead he couldn't but pay attention as her stomach pressed on to his body, as his hands unclasped her bra and the fabric slid down her arms releasing her soft breast and their tightened peak on to his tender sensitive skin. Dammit he was an ass.

Excitement coursed through him at the thought of having her again, how many times has he dreamt of her? How many fleeting thoughts and desires boiling in him when he remembered those moments they've spent together?

Her body softly glided over his as she allowed his hands to slide her jeans off and he couldn't but sigh in expectation. After everything he brought to her she still gave herself to him? Why would she? What would possess her to act so stupid when she was indeed a gifted and smart individual? He pushed her on to the small wooden couch.

The reddish flames danced on her features highlighting her natural beauty as she twisted under his touch, her red swollen lips slowly part as her tongue meets his, her black eyes shine with tears in the corner and she's just so perfect. Lowering her boxers and sliding a finger in her core she bends up pulling his head deep within the crook of her neck. He slowly laid soft kisses along her collar bones between her breast down her sternum, down the dark path to her navel and she unconsciously pushes his head lower.

She was already looking so disheveled that he couldn't hold back. Getting back and desperately trying to unbuttoned his pants she comes up and with an unnatural calm manages to lower his trousers with his underwear as well. Her wet tongue licks up his length and up his well-toned body. Her eyes met with his as she accepted him whole. He slowly entered her but when he hit one extreme point that painful speed of their suddenly raised, everything turning in to a more primal act than anything.

What followed was more of a blur for Adeline but they somehow ended on the cold floor, her gaze stuck to a small flicker of flame that died out as Luke slipped inside. Her back bent as he caught one of her nipples between his teeth playing with its peak. Her fingers dug in to his hair as that small flickered turned in to ash. Staring at it, dark and cold away from its fiery red brethren, staring at it between her almost closed eyelids her lips were barely parted expecting every thrust the man made in to her. Her muscles were tired but she was still to come. Her eyes looked up at the ceiling as her fingers clenched even harder in to his hair and her restless mind floated on everywhere and nowhere in particular until all of her muscles clenched and she escaped one last scream of pleasure as she came at the same time with the man, maybe feeling him release deep inside her gave her body what it needed for her climax.

He finally came up to stare in to her eyes and he could only awe at what he was looking. Their lips met again but this time it was just a soft brush and a small nibbling from Luke's part. Her hands finally released his hair simply falling around her head. His forehead came to hers and Adeline cradled his cheek with her right hand slowly caressing it with her thumb.

"You're so endearing." Her lips whispered. As a response his hand slid down her body making her shake as he was trying to get himself away from her. His action was soon stopped by her legs wrapping around his waist and pushing him back in.

_"I love you Adeline."_

_"You are just so cheesy, Tom." She playfully punched him in the arm._

_"No… I am not joking…"_

_"Tom…" Because she couldn't really say those three words she gave him a quick peck as she rushed for another one of the games._

_He shook his head as he followed on to her footsteps. His hands deeply dug in to his pockets he stared at her through the hoodie over his head._

_Her finger was pointing towards a Photo booth and he nodded at her to go in._

Luke's hair tickled her neck as he sat next to her. Looks like she hasn't parted with Tom's memories in the end… or with that stupid picture. Shifting, Adeline realized that somehow a blanket was covering the both of them. Pushing herself up with the help of one of her hands she stretched for a bit feeling her tired bones crack and her exhausted muscles relaxing. The man rose as well staring at her in complete and utter contempt.

One last kiss between the two before they finally go back to the reality they are living.

After they managed to get dressed they took what they had and left the small cabin besides the lake. The storm wasn't completely gone and they started missing the fire place as soon as they made the first step outside.

"Ok... so the plan is to reach the city before nightfall."

"Kind of."

"We have no guns, no food, nothing."

"Yup."

"At least we had our fun…"

"Yup."


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter 14 - Mistakes and remorse**_

* * *

"Well… the place looks kind of deserted." Adeline pointed out as the two of them were wondering the snowy streets of the city.

"It is as if everybody left…"

"Maybe they actually did… when the outbreak started. If you look there is barely a car… I think I actually saw only one."

"Maybe… That would mean no lurkers…"

"We should still be careful."

They kept on walking for a few minutes. Everything besides them was death silent only their occasional voice pointing something out and the crunchiness of the snow under their steps would penetrate that surreal peace. The sun was barely shining through the thick covers of clouds and the snow kept on falling, small intricate flakes flying in the air one by one covering the ground.

"Isn't that a pharmacy?" The woman raised a finger towards a small green building. Getting closer they could already make up the green neon cross barely hanging by one lose screw.

Entering through a broken window the couple started looking around the place. It still had some supplies here and there but the most important ones are long since gone. Moving from shelf to shelf Luke found himself in front of the "young age inadequate" stuff. Laying his eyes on the several boxes of condoms he couldn't believe he was so blind. Grabbing one of them he threw it in the direction where he believed Adeline was hitting her squarely in the head.

"The fuck, Luke!?" Finding the little red box one of her eyebrows shot to the sky.

"You realize we hadn't thought about this?"

"Color and scent… orange, banana and strawberry… lu-bri-cated..."

"What are you talking about?" Luke finally appeared from around the corner.

"Am I not good enough? Usually without it is better… but… "

The man started waving his hands in front of him quickly as if trying to erase what she just said. "I wasn't talking about that… ehh…" He threw another box… this time a bit bigger and this one made Adeline's eyes widen.

"Pregnancy test?"

"I just want a warning if something like this is true."

"Also these things are a few years old…"

"So?"

"I am not pregnant."

"We don't know that… and if you are… it would… I don't know." Luke was clearly looking awkward and quite flustered about the whole idea, he was looking anywhere but at Adeline and his hands seemed as if he didn't knew where he should put them. "I just… realized… you know… I would like a heads up."

Staring down at the box Adeline realized he might be right… She has been feeling quite queasy and her body felt pretty weird… but she always blamed the beating she had. Now she really felt like her whole world is crumbling, her… being pregnant? It would suck! SUCK BIG TIME!

"Hey… before panicking let's see if there is something to get panicked about… okay?"

He watched as she made her way as on autopilot around the corner to have the test. Meanwhile Luke sat on to the ground trying to stop the shake in his fingers. How could he be so careless? His fingers went through his hair to scratch the back of his neck. Adeline came back now just sitting next to him.

"So?"

"We have to wait for a bit…"

"Hmm… if you're not going to kill me the suspense will."

"Kill you? Why?" He shrugged guilt present in the tremble of his hands, a thing that Adeline picked up quite quickly. "Luke… This… is a two person job. "He shrugged again. "Of what are you so afraid of? Once again he shrugged. "Luke… talk to me…"

"And what should I say? That I was an idiot that acted like a teenager in heat… I am… I am 27 dammit! I should be… more careful you know. "

"Hey… in a normal world… you could had already been married with twins…" His eyebrows snapped upwards repeatedly earning a smile from the man.

"In a normal world we wouldn't be worrying that if you were pregnant the kid would be eaten by a lurker."

"In a normal world you wouldn't have to worry about me being pregnant. I am around 20 by now… six or seven years younger… I don't think you'd had even looked at me." Luke started laughing now. "Ok… that sounded stupid and childish…"

"You think? But getting back at that… do you really believe that I like you only because there is no one else? That's just bullshit."

"You don't really have proof to back you up."

"If Nick was here he'd be my eyewitness… I remember those first few days… he was giving me that all knowing look every time I came out of your room. Nick… that idiot. I miss him."

"So you had a crush on me?"

"I don't know… maybe… huh? Maybe… "

"20 – 27 quite an age difference. As I just said… by now you could have had a family… and I would be fussing around with university."

"I was actually thinking. Before the outbreak I was dating this girl. Is it awkward to talk about my dead ex?"

"No...Yes… But I would like to hear about it."

"I actually wanted to propose to her but I was broke and unemployed so I delayed it. Now I feel bad for that… but I remember imagining her as my wife and a little baby girl named Marie… I don't know why but just now your image came in to my mind in the same way."

"What? "

"Maybe it wouldn't be that bad if that thing turned out to be positive… would it?"

"Besides the fact that you pointed out just now… the random lurker eating the baby?"

"We are pretty close to Wellington… it is definitely a safe place."

"If it turns out to exist."

"I don't want to imply anything here Del… but if it happens it might not be the end of the world."

"You thought it might be the end of the world didn't you?"

"After seeing what happened with Rebecca… kind of."

Staring down at the pink device Adeline bumped Luke's shoulder with her own. "Marie, huh? " His eyes widen. "It is negative… but we can try again." Laughing he grabbed the condom box from the ground throwing it once again in to her head.

"Rain check?"

* * *

"Look… a supermarket." Luke pointed out towards a red colored building.

"Maybe we could find a map or something in there…"

When they got closer they saw that the only usable entrances were the sliding doors so doing their best at parting the glass gates they managed to squeeze in to the place.

"It looks picked clean…"

"Yeah… but maps aren't the first thing on your mind when you try to… Del? What are you doing?"

The woman waved the man to keep the noise at a minimum as she grabbed a pointy looking pipe from a stand behind her. Slowly making her way to the storage room she took a peek through the barely opened door. There were, from what Adeline could see, two persons.

"Shit… this thing is busted." A lantern flew backwards making Adeline twist behind the door so the object wouldn't hit her squarely in the face. As a thumb sound echoed through the building Luke took cover behind some shelves peeking his head to look at the woman. Gesturing with his hands he asked her what's happening but his answer was just a shrug as the woman kneelt to take another look.

"The shits around this place are either broken or empty Bonnie… there is nothing for us."

"Yup… I know. But what can we do Mike?"

Almost instantly Luke got out from his covers and dashed for the couple only to be stopped by Adeline. The woman, with a rough hold on his wrist pulled him down to her and whispered.

"Let's listen for a bit… "Luke tried to get back up but because of the hold tightening on his wrist he gave in to her.

"I feel sorry about the boy."

"Arvo? Mike… he shot Clem. I would have strangled him right there if Kenny wouldn't have appeared."

"It's kind of our fault… we destroyed most of what he had…we ruined his life."

"Mike… it ain't our fault that he and his boys attacked us… We are the victims here."

"I can't help it."

"And he also stole our supplies and left while we were fightin' the lurkers. Ain't no question here we made a mistake for trusting the boy."

"We still have one bag."

"Yeah… but we betrayed the others, left Clem and Jane with Kenny. Maybe we shoulda done something else… stay and help them… maybe face Kenny or something."

"There is nothing else we can do now."

"YOU JUST LEFT?!"

Luke erupted from behind the door making Adeline escape a curse as she came next to him.

"Luke, Adeline… Y'all alive? Dear God."

"Wait Bonnie… Is Kenny with you?" Mike came protectively holding a hand in front of the woman.

"We didn't find the others when we came back to that cabin by the lake. Thx for helping us by the way."

"Shut it, Del. We are not here to question them about the lake thing but I sure as hell wanna hear about that leaving Clem and Jane with Kenny thing."

Bonnie and Mike gave each other unsure looks before the woman came closer to the couple.

"Thangs got out of control with Kenny without you Luke. That man ain't right in the head anymore…"

"He started to act worse than Carver. You, man… were the only person still opposing him, without you he unleashed."

Luke turned towards Adeline with a questioning and shocked look in his eyes. The man tried to answer something but raising his hands up he turned around swearing to no one in particularly.

"Luke… you don't get it… we thought you both were death… "

"FOR CRYING OUT LOUD... If I was death what? If I was so important for the group why was Adeline the only one to help me?"

"Man… you both stayed under the ice for a while… I still can't believe you are here… flesh and bones and no moaning and chewing our flesh."

"Where did you leave the others?" Adeline finally asked.

"At the cabin… by the lake… "

"The car tracks…" She whispered as she put in the pieces. "So Arvo shot Clementine?"

"I hope Clem ain't hurt."

"SHE WAS SHOT BONNIE… OF COURSE SHE'S HURT!"

"Calm down, Luke."

"How can I calm down, Del! I almost die and everything goes to shit! This ain't happening… FUCK!" Adeline's hand grabbed his and he almost froze middle action just to stare at the look in her eyes. Sighing to calm himself down he nodded.

"I am sorry Luke… I… We… didn't know what to do."

His eyes narrowed but he didn't move… not even flinch. Adeline could clearly feel the anger boiling inside him which wasn't characteristic for the man. Maybe everything was starting to get to him as well or maybe he is simply at the edge?

"We can still find them… We just need to find a map."

"Don't tell me you are planning to head down to Wellington?"

"Well… Mike. Unlike you we are still trying to help the others."

"Man… your dead sentence… "For a moment a fleeting thought to punch the man went through him but realizing that this is just his own fury twisting his will he simply turned around to leave.

"Luke… please." Bonnie dashed for him grabbing him by his arm only to be shaken off.

Adeline would have intervened but a bit by bit the world around her became a mixture of images and sounds. Good that the others were fighting because somehow she managed to lean her back against a wall. She was feeling funny as if she had a hangover or something close to that… and it was kind of troubling. Doing her best to level her breaths she filtered the scene around her much better being able to see the red-haired woman desperately gesticulating at an angry Luke, Mike not far behind occasionally waving a hand. He mind was blank and her body numb and the man, looking through Bonnie saw her wobbly self. Waving Bonnie to shut up he dashed for her so when Adeline opened her eyes she awoke to a cool hand stroking her forehead.

"You ok? You seem kind of pale." With one hand Luke brushed some of her wispy bangs away.

"I'm… I'm… ok… just lost my footing for a while. " Trying to make a few steps forwards she ended up almost falling, stumbling over her own feet but the man easily enough grabbed her.

Mike was staring at them, his fingers slightly petting the grip of his gun. "Was she bitten?"

"What? No."

"Man… she is pale, dizzy ad barely can stand… looks like a bite to me."

"She wasn't bitten!"

"I am dying that is true." She said flatly as she managed to regain some balance. "But it is not a bite…"

"You won't mind me asking why are you dying? "

"Mike! Stop." Bonnie intervened.

"Sorry… but last time we saw them Luke was drowning in a frozen lake and she jumped in it, and I should add the fact that the lake had lurkers flipping in it and above it. I am sorry if I am cautious."

The truth was bitter and looking at the other faces as she raised her shirt to expose the darkened spot only made it so much tangible. Even if he already knew about it, Luke couldn't but stare at her own death sentence with agony and remorse. Back at the cabin the only light source was that fireplace but here in the middle of the day everything seemed much more horrifying.

"Wellington is kind of her only chance."

Bonnie and Mike nodded at each other pity readable in their silent discussion but for Adeline what continued was just darkness as her eyes rolled back and her body fell on to the cold and dusty stone.

_Since the outbreak everybody realized that the gift of live is everything. Too bad none of them truly did something for it at the start._

**"****Del?! Wake up, Del!"**

_Since the outbreak everybody realized they have to survive at any cost even if they have to sacrifice their life… even if they become worse than the things actually hunting them._

**"****Luke! STEP AWAY FROM HER!"**

**"****ARE YOU NUTS! SHE STOPPED BREATHING!"**

_Since the outbreak everybody died inside… there is barely a glimpse of life here and there and that is only between the people that can still say they need somebody to keep on going._

**"****Mike! DON'T MAKE ME DO THIS!"**

**"****MIKE STOP IT! NO!"**

_Since the outbreak everybody started doing mistakes… bigger mistakes than before. The little things like forgetting your keys, or breaking something, not keeping your mouth shut or simply not getting why 2+2 equals 4… those little mistakes turned in to murders, life is expendable now when living, the last precious thing you can have, is being taken from you._

**"****YOU KILLED HIM LUKE!"**

_Many that we loved or cared for have passed away too soon… and with no real reason._

**"****No… what did I do?"**

_We remember them often. In the mornings with a weak smile on our lips when the birds sing and the sun shines, at night when the moon rises and the stars flash across the clear sky, when we hear a long forgotten song in which the singer hums our everyday drama and even when we are unconscious… when we hear a loud bang and a body falling in a puddle of its own blood, when a trembling voice speaks of its own deeds and when the gurgle of a dying man blames its criminal. When the scream of a woman desperately tries to erase the act that no one can say it never happened… and when the instrument of death falls on the ground like its victim just seconds ago._

_Nobody ever realizes what they would do to protect their loved ones. And Luke is no special case. His hands were tainted with yet another life and he couldn't get the wild terror in Mike's eyes as the bullet split his flesh out of his head._

"How is she?" Reawaken from his thoughts he took a look at Adeline's form hidden under the layers of covers from the bed. Her even breaths were a good sign but this event only opened his eyes at the woman's condition.

"I don't know, Bonnie." Taking a few steps in to the bedroom where Adeline was sleeping he sat on the edge of the bed next to her, burying his head in his palms. "This is just a fucking nightmare that won't end."

"At least you're feeling bad."

"What should that mean… of course I am feeling bad." Bonnie was staring at him outraged and accusing. "You're not blaming me for this are you?"

"Luke… you shot him!" The coopery smell of blood and the crimson liquid splattered everywhere was still engraved deep in his mind appearing behind his eyes as if those images became his eyelids.

"I warned him… he wanted to… fuck!"

"Adeline was fine you just panicked! Mike wanted to help you!"

"I warned him… I FUCKING WARNED Him!"

"Why is this girl so important to you anyway?!"

"Unlike you she jumped in that lake… unlike you if I were Mike she'd had jumped in front of the bullet. She had done more for me than you'll ever be able to do for anyone."

Hearing his words the woman tried to say something but she turned around. Her footsteps could be heard going down the corridor and in to the next room.

Luke did his best to detach himself from the riot of feelings threatening to overwhelm his already broken soul. Brushing his hand over his face and thorough his hair he turned around to look at the woman peacefully snoozing wrapped in the cozy sheets of the bed.

"Fuck…" Her skin was almost plainly white pale and she was clearly struggling to breathe in but at least the look on her face appeared to be peaceful… besides the occasional squints she made because of the pain probably.

His hand came to her forehead and she sighed as he touched her tender skin. Her head gently moved after him making his fingers to cradle her cheek and to make her smile. Somehow, even if she was unconscious, she knew she had someone to keep her safe. He can still remember those days when they first met; how she would jump from her sleep at the tiniest of sounds… he missed those days… maybe if he had another chance he could fix this. Luke was feeling as if he was at the end of his line, he was tired and no amount of sleep in the world could help with that. His other hand went under the cover to grab hers. Carefully sliding it out from the blankets he took it up to his lips, pressing her fingers to his own skin. He needed to feel her warmth so he knew she was still alive.

"Don't you dare leave me…? I hope you hear me, Del… don't you dare leave me." He was barely holding back tears. After what seemed like forever he left her hand go for it only to twist behind his neck to push him down.

"Did I wake you up?"

"Bonnie did that job for you… "Now he felt embarrassed, she'd been wide awake through this whole thing. "I actually thought you realized I was awake when I couldn't hold myself from smiling."

"I am bad at reading people… I always lose at poker."

"Lucky me…" Now he was laid next to her, his hand not moving from her cheek. Adeline snuggled in his palm as her own hands came to his chest. Pulling her close to him she snuggled her nose in to him. He smelled of blood and death and sweat but somehow she found that scent that was purely Luke and she enjoyed every bit of it. "What happened?"

"I think you fainted… I don't know. You weren't even breathing for a moment there…"

"I am sorry for scaring you…"

"Mike wan-ted to shot you… he said you were death and he didn't want any lurker walking around." She could feel the fear in the way he was speaking and raising her head to look in to his eyes she could feel the guilt in them.

"What did you do?"

"He didn't give me any choice…" Her eyes widen.

"And what if he was right?"

"I would have had two death people on my consciousness." His hands tightened around her, pulling Adeline even closer, his head lost in her hair. "I would have had your death on my consciousness."

"Luke…" She didn't dare to believe he cared so much for her but the fear of losing her pushing him so far as killing that meant she was something more than just some other lover. Losing what she wanted to say Adeline simply whispered while nestling her nose in to the crook of his neck." My head hurts." His lips pressed slightly on her forehead and she was in awe at their softness and how they seemed to erase any kind of ache from her temples. "_Thank you._"


End file.
